Green Party leader Zack Polanski has failed in his bid to become an MP, with a narrow loss in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election. The seat, which was held by Sir Keir Starmer before his resignation last month, was instead retained by Labour.
Victorious candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali, the leader of Camden Council since May, secured 12,292 votes to Polanski’s 8,928.
Test of Labour's appeal in London
The by-election was seen as a major test of new prime minister Andy Burnham’s appeal in London, where Labour’s support collapsed under Starmer. In May’s local elections, the party lost control of 10 councils in the capital – though it stayed in control of Camden, which closely matches the area where Thursday’s election took place.
Long before the former PM announced his intention to step down from the House of Commons, Polanski singled out Holborn and St Pancras as a seat he had his eye on. It was seen as the kind of diverse, urban constituency that his party could pinch from Labour amid the boost in polling and membership that followed Polanski’s election in October last year.
Pressure on the Green leader
But the Green leader has faced mounting pressure in recent weeks over falling poll numbers for his party and the decision by members to oppose two amendments he supported in a controversial vote to oppose an Israeli state. His loss in the north London seat may prompt his opponents in the party to question whether a new direction is needed.
The Green Party conceded the by-election at around 2.30am. A spokesman said: ‘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.’
Seat history
Starmer won Holborn and St Pancras, a seat he had held since the 2015 election, with a majority of more than 11,000 votes in 2024.
