Green Party Candidate Chris Kennedy Apologises for Sharing Golders Green 'False Flag' Posts
Chris Kennedy, the Green Party's former candidate for the Makerfield by-election, has issued an apology for sharing social media posts that characterised an arson attack on four ambulances belonging to the Jewish charity Hatzola in Golders Green, north London, as a 'false flag'.
Kennedy's selection as a candidate was announced on Thursday, only for him to withdraw hours later. The Green Party initially attributed his departure to 'personal and family reasons'.
Reports subsequently surfaced regarding Kennedy's shared content, which included an Instagram video suggesting arrests made in connection with the Golders Green incident were an attempt to 'keep the false flag flying'. A 'false flag' refers to a covert operation designed to conceal the true perpetrator and implicate an opponent.
A Green Party spokesperson confirmed the party had addressed the posts with Kennedy, stating he had deleted them and 'apologises for the offence caused'. The spokesperson added that such views 'don't reflect the views of The Green Party'.
Despite this, the party maintains that Kennedy's withdrawal from the Makerfield contest, triggered by the resignation of Labour MP Josh Simons, was solely due to his need to focus on family caring responsibilities. The by-election in the Greater Manchester constituency is scheduled for 18 June.