Zack Polanski has been selected by local members as the Green Party candidate for the Holborn and St Pancreas by-election triggered by Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation first as prime minister and then as an MP.

The Green Party leader was selected after a vote by local members and will aim to become the party’s first-ever London MP. The full list of candidates is yet to be announced. Labour has confirmed that its candidate will be Camden Council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali. 

Polanksi, speaking at a candidate launch event, said: “I am proud and honoured to have been selected for a byelection in the constituency where I have lived and worked for much of the past 20 years.

Competition

“The people of Holborn and St Pancreas want better for this place and I will fight for you because the Greens might be the underdog in this election, but we have the momentum and we can win.

“It’s clear, everyone knows that it’s the Green Party against Labour. Voting Green sends a clear signal: we want better and demand better for our communities.”

Polanski, also a London Assembly member, announced his intent to stand in the by-election last week but faced competition for the candidacy from local councillor Hamza Chowdhury.

Playbook

Chowdhury, who represents the party on Camden council, had argued the area did not need “a politician you’ll only see on a leaflet”.

But, despite this, Polanski comfortably secured the backing of the local party and will aim to become their sixth MP in Westminster.

Speaking to The Ecologist, the party’s deputy leader Rachel Millward said: “Zack is a stellar candidate and the thought of having him in Parliament is truly exciting. 

“Let’s be real - would we still have Keir Starmer as prime minister if it wasn’t for Zack? Andy Burnham has come in and lifted everything he could from Zack’s playbook to run his own campaign for change. 

Independent

“Even Ed Miliband’s change in approach to Israel has come from the pressure that the Greens have put on, so this is an opportunity for the people of Holborn and St Pancreas to say to Burnham, ‘do your absolute best for us and our future and our grandchildren'.”

The by-election, which will take place on 8 October, was triggered by the resignation of Sir Keir, who had initially vowed to remain an MP after stepping down as Prime Minister.

Holborn and St Pancreas has been held by Labour continuously since its creation in 1983 and Sir Keir, who held the seat from 2015, won 48.9 per cent of the vote in the 2024 General Election. 

However, with voters moving towards Green and independent candidates in recent years, the by-election will mark the first major electoral test of new prime minister Andy Burnham. The Ecologist is contacting the other political parties for comment.

This Author

James Edginton is a freelance journalist based in the UK who covers politics and environmental issues.