Green Party leader Zack Polanski has been selected to challenge Labour in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, setting up a contest for Sir Keir Starmer’s former Commons seat on October 8.
Mr Polanski, a London Assembly member, was chosen by local party members ahead of Camden councillor Hamza Chowdhury. He will face Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali, the leader of Camden Council, in the vote triggered by Sir Keir’s decision to stand down as an MP.
The Greens have identified the north London constituency as a realistic opportunity, despite Labour having held it since its creation in 1983. Sir Keir retained the seat at the 2024 general election with a majority of 11,572 votes.
Speaking after a speech by Green MP Hannah Spencer, Mr Polanski said he was already close to tears before telling supporters: “We have the momentum and we can win.”
He said a Green victory would put pressure on Andy Burnham’s Labour government to move further to the left, arguing that returning another Labour MP would simply increase the Prime Minister’s majority.
“You can give Andy Burnham a chance and vote Green in this election,” he said, adding that a Green MP could work constructively with the Government while challenging gaps in its plans.
Zack Polanski selected for Holborn and St Pancras by-election
Mr Polanski has previously said he would commute to the constituency from his home in east London if elected. He rejected Mr Chowdhury’s criticism that the seat did not need “another MP who arrives during an election campaign” and then “disappears once the votes are counted”.
“I think the local party already knows that doesn’t describe me at all. It’s a place that I know very, very well,” he said.
Mr Polanski also expressed solidarity with Ms Abdi-Wali, a former child refugee from Somalia, after what he described as “despicable” criticism of her background by Reform figure Zia Yusuf on social media.
“Every single day during this election, I will stand with any candidate who is facing abusive attacks,” he told reporters.
Ms Abdi-Wali, who has represented Camden Square since 2022 and led the council since May, has already begun campaigning. Mr Burnham visited the constituency on Thursday to support her, according to a post she shared on X.
Labour’s by-election political lead, Liam Conlon, said Ms Abdi-Wali was “rooted in this community” and had a record of work on housing and support for young families.
The contest is expected to provide an early test of Mr Burnham’s popularity after he replaced Sir Keir as Prime Minister. It will also test whether the Greens can turn recent gains in Camden and strong local campaigning into a parliamentary breakthrough.
At the 2024 general election, an independent candidate finished second with 18.9 per cent of the vote, while the Greens came third with 10.4 per cent. The Conservatives, Reform and Liberal Democrats followed.
Camden Council’s official election notice says nominations must be submitted by 4pm on September 15. The poll will take place on October 8 if the election is contested.
