Zack Polanski will stand in the by-election for Keir Starmer’s old seat

Zack Polanski is making a bid for Westminster

The Green Party leader, who currently sits on the London Assembly, secured the nomination after Camden Green Party members voted in his favour over local councillor Hamza Chowdhury. Green MP Hannah Spencer said Polanski had won “overwhelming” support from members.

He will now face Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali, the leader of Camden Council, when voters go to the polls on 8 October.

The contest was called after Sir Keir Starmer left his long-held parliamentary seat to focus on international affairs. Labour has represented Holborn and St Pancras since the constituency was created in 1983, with Starmer serving as its MP before becoming prime minister.

Polanski’s candidacy gives the Greens a chance to challenge Labour in central London, while also offering their leader an opportunity to make the move from the London Assembly to Westminster.

Polanski is confident but not complacent

The Greens believe they have already shown signs of breaking Labour’s dominance in Camden, and Zack Polanski is using that result to make the case for a surprise victory in Holborn and St Pancras.

The party finished second to Labour in this year’s Camden Council elections, giving Polanski a figure he has repeatedly returned to during the campaign. 

He accepts that the Greens are still the underdogs, but believes their recent progress gives them a genuine opportunity.

“We might be the underdog in this election but we have the momentum and we can win,” Polanski said, describing himself as “confident but not complacent”.

His campaign has also focused heavily on his ties to Camden. After moving to London 20 years ago, Polanski says he has made the area “my home” and argues that the difficulties facing residents make this election particularly significant.

He has presented a Green vote as a way for residents to “send a clear signal” that “we demand better for our communities”. 

At the same time, Polanski has made clear that he sees the by-election as part of a much bigger challenge to the government.

He wants the result to “put pressure” on Prime Minister Andy Burnham, arguing that a Green MP could “challenge him on the gaps in his plans”.

The 8 October vote will therefore be closely watched beyond the constituency. It could provide an early indication of how Burnham’s government is being received and whether the Greens are capable of turning their growing support in parts of inner London into parliamentary seats.

For Polanski, it could also be the first major test of his ambition for the Greens to “replace” Labour.