Zack Polanski confirmed as Green candidate in Holborn and St Pancras by-election
Green leader Zack Polanski is standing in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election triggered by Keir Starmer's resignation, with Labour's Sagal Abdiwali as his main rival. Voting is on 8 October.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski has confirmed he will stand in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, the seat left vacant by former prime minister Keir Starmer. The contest is expected to be held on 8 October, with 15 candidates on the ballot.
Starmer stood down as MP on Tuesday, shortly after leaving Downing Street. The seat has been held by Labour since 1983 and was considered a safe seat. At the 2024 general election, Starmer won almost half the vote and a majority of more than 11,500. That majority was down from around 27,000 in 2019, partly because of an independent left candidate and a stronger Green vote. Local election results in May showed the Greens making gains in London, and analysis of wards in the constituency put the gap between Labour and the Greens at less than 10%.
Polanski, a London Assembly member who lives in Hackney, said he has lived and worked around the area for 20 years and rejected the idea that he is a parachute candidate. He said he wanted to put pressure on Labour over housing, the cost of living, the climate and Gaza. 'Labour stands up for corporations and big money. I'll stand up for people and our communities,' he said. He argued that a Green win could stop North Sea oil and gas drilling, and said Green campaigns had helped push Labour on the child benefit cap.
Labour's candidate is Sagal Abdiwali, the leader of Camden Council. She is a former child refugee and has made housing her main issue. She said she would put everything on the table to tackle the housing crisis, including looking at a mansion tax. She also said she would focus only on the constituency and would not campaign around the country for other candidates. Labour says she will fight a positive campaign and hopes her local profile will hold the seat.
Other declared candidates include Patrick Thomas Stillman for the Liberal Democrats, Ewan Cameron for the Conservatives and Peter Newman for Reform UK. In all, 15 candidates are standing. An independent left candidate, Andrew Feinstein, took a significant share in 2024; one report said he is not standing this time, while other coverage discussed whether he might stand aside to avoid splitting the left vote.
The by-election is an early electoral test for new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who replaced Keir Starmer in Downing Street. Burnham has apologised for Labour's stance on Gaza during Starmer's time as leader, in an attempt to address disaffection on the left. Labour officials believe the Greens' popularity has fallen since Burnham became leader, but the party is still expected to put heavy resources into the seat.
For the Greens, the race is a test of whether they can turn local election gains into a parliamentary seat and whether Polanski's national profile can deliver votes. For Labour, losing a seat once held by a former prime minister would be symbolically damaging. Both parties are expected to throw resources at the campaign. The result will also show how far the left of British politics has shifted since Burnham took over.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Channel 5 | BBC One | Channel 4 | GB News | ITV | Sky News |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Polanski stated in April that he would almost certainly run in a by-election in Starmer's constituency. | ||||||
| Keir Starmer received nearly half the vote in the constituency at the 2024 general election. | · | · | ||||
| In the 2024 election, independent left candidate Andrew Feinstein received 20% and the Greens received 10% in the constituency. | · | · | · | |||
| Keir Starmer announced on Tuesday that he was standing down as MP for Holborn and St Pancras, triggering a by-election. | · | · | · | |||
| Labour's candidate for the by-election is Sagal Abdiwali. | · | · | · | |||
| Polanski is not yet the official Green candidate; he requires approval from local party members. | · | · | · | |||
| The by-election is seen as an early test for Prime Minister Andy Burnham and for the Green Party. | · | · | · | |||
| Analysis of local election results shows the gap in vote share between Labour and the Green Party in the constituency is less than 10%. | · | · | · | · | ||
| Labour's majority in the seat was around 11,000 to 11,500 at the last election. | · | · | · | · | ||
| The by-election date has not been set, but is expected in October. | · | · | · | · | ||
| The by-election was expected in October, with 15 candidates standing and voting reported for 8 October, though one report said no date had been confirmed at one point. | · | · | · | · | ||
| A Green Party spokesperson said Polanski has always wanted to be a London MP. | · | · | · | · | · |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
GB News framed the contest around a 'Green menace' narrative and gave heavy attention to Polanski's eccentric campaigning and controversial party policies. It used a studio panel and a Green activist to test whether Polanski can win, while highlighting scrutiny of his past and left-wing vote splitting. The tone was sceptical and combative.
- “Can we really afford to dismiss the Green Party any longer or should we be awake to the Green menace?”
- “The spokesperson said Zach has always made it clear he would like to be a London MP.”
- “he claims to be able to enlarge people's breasts by the power of hypnosis”
Sky News focused on the electoral maths and stakes. It reported the by-election as a headache for Labour and Andy Burnham, analysed ward-level local election results, and interviewed voters and an academic about Polanski's chances. Later coverage confirmed he was officially the Green candidate and set out the key campaign issues.
- “this is probably, from a Labour perspective, the worst-case scenario”
- “The gap in vote share between Labour and the Green Party sits at less than 10%”
- “Zack Polanski is now officially the Green candidate for Holborn and St Pancras.”
Channel 4 gave the story a constituency-report treatment, with interviews with both main candidates and voters. It focused on housing, rents, Gaza, North Sea oil and the mood on the doorstep, while testing Polanski's claim that he can convert national profile into a local win. The tone was explanatory and issue-led.
- “Holborn and St Pancras is getting a new MP.”
- “if I don't win this seat, he's going to go ahead and drill”
- “I'm in favour of looking at anything that we can help alleviate the housing crisis”
BBC One West covered the by-election as a local and national test, naming Polanski as candidate and detailing the Labour candidate's background. It stressed the seat's long Labour history but also the Greens' local election gains, and later gave the full candidate list and polling date. Its reporting moved from uncertainty over selection to confirmation.
- “He'll face off against Labour's Sagal Abdiwali and others”
- “he's not their candidate yet. That will have to be approved by local Green members”
- “his task is to show that the Greens can still take votes away from Labour”
5 News gave a short, direct update on the by-election within a wider bulletin. It focused on Polanski's confirmation, his status as a London Assembly member and the political risk for Andy Burnham's government. It was neutral and brief, with no extended analysis or interviews.
- “He's confirmed today that he is going to stand in the by-election”
- “Normally, it's a Labour strong seat, but these aren't normal times.”
- “this is going to be a big test for Andy Burnham's government”
ITV1 reported Polanski's intention to run and framed the race as an early headache for Andy Burnham. Its political reporter was in the constituency and stressed the symbolism of Labour losing a seat held by a former prime minister, while noting the Greens' local election gains in London.
- “this presents a bit of a headache for Andy Burnham”
- “the symbolism of the government losing a seat represented by a former prime minister would be quite stark”
- “Polanski believes that he can build on his party's success in the capital”
Who was on air
People and organisations each channel put on air while covering this story. Channels' own presenters and reporters are not listed. Names as transcribed, and the list can miss people.
- 19:39 BST
Zack Polanski, Green Party leader
“So housing has come up more than anything,”
Channel 4 News · Wed 23 Sept - 19:41 BST
Sagal Abdiwali, Labour's candidate, the Camden Council leader
“I think we need to find a solution to the housing crisis.”
Channel 4 News · Wed 23 Sept
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.