Labour's Sagal Abdi-Wali has won the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, triggered when former Prime Minister Keir Starmer resigned. Seen as a major test of Andy Burnham's popularity as PM, Labour won with 12,292 votes.
Greens second as Polanski misses out
The Greens' leader, Zack Polanski, came in second winning 8,928 votes, with Conservatives third and Reform UK fourth. Sagal Abdi-Wali became the leader of Camden Council in May and was favourite to win the north London seat.
The seat was a key target for the Greens. Previously, leader Polanski promised he would only stand in a London seat — where he represents in regional politics — despite being born in Salford. Holborn and St Pancras was the first London by-election seat to become vacant since he took over as leader, giving Polanski the opportunity to enter Parliament.
Greens lose support over conference motion
Rival activists say the Greens lost support in recent days over members backing a motion declaring Zionism is racism at its conference. Caroline Lucas, the three-time former Green Party leader — who was its first MP — said people should 'see what happens in the coming days and weeks' when asked about Polanski's future on BBC Newsnight.
Fourth by-election of 2026
This was the fourth Parliamentary by-election in 2026. In February, Hannah Spencer claimed the Gorton and Denton seat from Labour after Andrew Gwynne resigned as an MP months on from the 'Trigger Me Timbers' WhatsApp scandal. In June, Andy Burnham won the Makerfield by-election, retaining the seat for Labour and paving the way for the then-mayor to move into Downing Street. Later in the summer, August saw Nigel Farage keep his seat in Clacton, after he resigned following allegations about Reform's party finances.
The turnout of 38.76 percent in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election is lower than in those, with Gorton and Denton seeing 47.62 percent, Makerfield recording 58.7 percent, and 44.37 percent of voters turning out in Clacton.
