Green Party leader and Holborn and St Pancras by-election candidate Zack Polanski has described the extreme heat this summer as terrifying and said a vote for him will force the government to act on policies that create a more dangerous climate.
Doorstep concerns in Holborn and St Pancras
Writing about his campaign, Polanski said he has knocked on hundreds of doors over the last few weeks and heard from people about the issues that matter to them. He said parents repeatedly tell him their children still live at home because of the shortage of housing and the sky-high cost of rents, which he said is putting young people's lives on hold.
He said too many young families are being forced to choose between moving out of the city they love or giving up on their dream of having kids. Polanski said he is standing to be the next MP because action is needed from the government to tackle issues like the high cost of housing. Last week, he called on the government to introduce an emergency brake on rents to stop them rising beyond what people can afford.
Green gains and Labour pressure
Polanski said many people he speaks to have voted Labour in the past but this time are voting Green to elect an independent local MP who will fight for their communities and keep the Labour government in check. He pointed to the party's by-election win in Gorton and Denton in February, which elected Hannah Spencer, and its success across London in the local elections in May, saying this forced the Labour government to give up on some of its most unpopular policies and start moving in the right direction on others.
He said this by-election is special because it will send a clear message to the government about what people really want. On the climate crisis, he said people tell him they are worried about what the future will look like for their children, and that the extreme heat this summer was terrifying.
Oil and gas decision delayed
Polanski said the government was planning to give the go-ahead to new drilling for oil and gas, which he said would create a more dangerous climate. He claimed the only thing that stopped them was being scared of losing votes to the Greens in this by-election, so they delayed that decision until after the election.
He said if Labour wins, that signals they do not have to worry about caring about the climate or what communities need. But if he wins, he said it will keep Labour in check and make sure they act on affordable housing, safe communities, and securing a safe future for children. The by-election takes place on Thursday, October 8.
