Green Party leader Zack Polanski has announced his intention to stand in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election triggered by the resignation of former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Announcing his plan to contest the seat, Mr Polanski told the Camden New Journal: “I have lived and worked in this community over many years, I know it well and I love it.
“It represents so many of the things that make London so special. I am so excited by the prospect of representing this place in Parliament.”
Sir Keir announced his plan to quit Parliament earlier this week, saying he felt it was the “right time” to step down as an MP and focus on new work on international affairs.
He was replaced by Andy Burnham as Prime Minister and Labour leader in July after losing the support of his party in the wake of a string of mis-steps, policy U-turns and dire local election results.
The Green Party is expected to be Labour’s main challenge at the forthcoming by-election in Holborn & St Pancras, if trends seen at the last general election are repeated.
While Labour has held this inner London constituency continuously since the seat was created in 1983, winning at least 40 per cent of the vote at every election, Sir Keir won a much larger share of the vote at 2019 election (64.5 per cent) than in 2024 (48.9 per cent), with his majority falling from 27,763 to 11,572.
In 2024, independent candidate Andrew Feinstein came in second place on 18.9 per cent and the Greens in third place on 10.4 per cent.
The Conservatives were fourth on 7.2 per cent, Reform finished fifth on 6.1 per cent and the Liberal Democrats were sixth on 5.8 per cent.
The popularity of the independent and Green candidates at the 2024 contest, finishing second and third respectively, may have been partly down to former Labour voters protesting at Sir Keir’s refusal to take a stronger position on Israel’s actions in Gaza in the war with Hamas.
Both the independent and Green candidates focused on this issue during the election campaign.
Announcing his decision to quit in a statement posted to X, Sir Keir said: “It’s been an honour and privilege to represent the best constituency in the country since taking over from the great Frank Dobson 11 years ago.
“But it is now time to step aside and focus on other issues: international affairs including defence, security, trade and technology in a fast-changing world. I will also continue working with others as I have done over many decades to tackle violence against women and girls.
“As I do that, I will always remain immensely proud to have represented the place Vic, the kids and I call home.”
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