Green candidate in Makerfield called Golders Green arson attack ‘false flag’ operation

But, within just a few hours, Mr Kennedy stood down, with a party spokesman citing "personal and family reasons" for his short-lived tenure as the Greens' Makerfield candidate.

"We believe people in Makerfield deserve a real choice at this by-election, and the Green Party will be standing to offer exactly that,” a spokesman said.

"Across the country, more and more voters are turning away from the old parties and looking for politicians who will genuinely stand up for their communities.

"We will also be redoubling our efforts on campaigning to expose the risk of Reform, a party [that] seeks to divide our communities."

Mr Kennedy, who has now stood down, had previously shared posts online which called the Golders Green arson attacks on Jewish ambulances as a "false flag" operation, The Times revealed today.

The footage billed the double arrest as "total b***s*** to keep the false flag flying".

A false flag is a political or military move played out with the intention to pin the blame on an opponent.

The ex-candidate, a nurse and children’s safeguarding specialist, was also exposed after sharing content from self-proclaimed "proud ethno-nationalist" Hugh Anthony.

Mr Anthony, in the reshared post, wrote: "How does someone manage to burn three ambulances, get the entire country in uproar, make the Government put 264 more police units into the community, make the King become a patron of a charity, and increase the terror threat level in the UK, only to be put on bail?

"This makes no sense."

A Green Party spokesman said: "We have spoken to Chris about these posts, and he has now deleted them. He apologises for the offence caused."

They added the posts "don't reflect the views of the Green Party".

Before Mr Kennedy pulled out of the race, Mr Polanski hailed his "fantastic" candidate and declared the mid-term contest was about "who is making the case for lower bills, warmer and more affordable homes, and a greener and fairer economy".

The party has said it will replace the candidate on Monday.

The party, however, maintained its previous statement which reads: "We wish Chris the best and understand that family has to come first.

"As a party, we are re-opening nominations now because we believe people in Makerfield deserve a real choice at this by-election, and the Green Party will be standing to offer exactly that.

"Across the country, more and more voters are turning away from the old parties and looking for politicians who will genuinely stand up for their communities.

"We will also be redoubling our efforts on campaigning to expose the risk of Reform, a party who seeks to divide our communities.

"This election has to be about how to make the super-rich pay their fair share, how we tackle the cost-of-living crisis with lower bills and affordable housing, and how we protect our public services and our green spaces. It has to be about offering Makerfield hope over hate."

The Makerfield by-election was triggered after Labour MP Josh Simons stepped aside to make way for Andy Burnham, who is aiming to take the reins as party leader.