Holborn and St Pancras by-election: Labour holds seat despite Green challenge

Labour has won the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, with Sagal Abdi-Wali successfully defending the seat previously held by Sir Keir Starmer. The result came despite a strong challenge from Green Party leader Zack Polanski.

Result and vote share

Abdi-Wali, who leads Camden council, secured 12,292 votes, while Polanski received 8,928. Conservative candidate Ewan Cameron finished in third place with 1,922 votes. The Greens conceded defeat before the official declaration, with a party spokesperson saying: “It is clear now we will come a close second in this by-election.”

The spokesperson added: “Taking the fight to Labour in one of its safest seats shows just how far the Greens have come. Voters want us to keep Labour’s feet to the fire on affordable housing, public ownership of water and the climate crisis. Greens will be there every single day, holding Labour to account and demanding the change people voted for.”

Campaign efforts

The Greens mobilised dozens of campaigners across north London in the lead-up to the poll, while Labour ran an organised campaign that brought cabinet ministers and senior party figures to the constituency. This followed a last-minute appeal from Andy Burnham, encouraging Londoners to vote for “hope”.

Labour’s efforts came after a difficult week for Polanski, as a controversial motion asserting that “Zionism is racism” was passed at the party’s annual conference in Brighton, sparking backlash and damaging approval ratings.