Labour Wins Holborn and St Pancras By-Election as Pressure Mounts on Green Leader Zack Polanski

Labour has won the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, defeating the Green Party in a contest that has also intensified scrutiny of Green leader Zack Polanski following a controversial party conference motion on Zionism.

Labour candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali secured 12,292 votes, finishing ahead of Green candidate Zack Polanski, who received 8,928. The result gives Labour the seat vacated by former prime minister Keir Starmer.

But while Labour is celebrating its victory, the Greens are facing renewed questions about their political direction and leadership after a motion declaring Zionism a form of racism was passed at the party's conference.

Labour takes the seat

Abdi-Wali, the 42-year-old leader of Camden Council, won approximately 45% of the vote.

The other candidates finished well behind the two leading parties:

• Labour – Sagal Abdi-Wali: 12,292 votes

• Green Party – Zack Polanski: 8,928

• Conservatives – Ewan Cameron: 1,922

• Reform UK – Pete Newman: 1,612

• Liberal Democrats – Patrick Stillman: 924

• Restore Britain – Tyler Johnson: 692

The result places Labour ahead of the Greens in a constituency where the latter had hoped to make a breakthrough.

Polanski described the campaign as a significant advance for his party, pointing to a substantial increase in its vote compared with the 2024 general election. He argued that the Greens had made progress in a seat that had been held by Labour since 1983.

Labour, meanwhile, welcomed the result as an endorsement of its message and candidate.

Abdi-Wali pledges to tackle homelessness

In her victory speech, Abdi-Wali said tackling homelessness was one of the reasons she entered politics.

She pledged to focus on rough sleeping, the wider housing crisis and opportunities for young people in Camden.

She also raised concerns about poverty and the role of major organisations, including Thames Water, in issues affecting local communities.

Abdi-Wali grew up in Camden after arriving in the UK from Somalia as a child refugee in the 1990s. She became a councillor in 2022 and was appointed leader of Camden Council earlier this year.

Labour figures congratulated her on the result, with party chair Bridget Phillipson describing the victory as an endorsement of Labour's message of hope.

Pressure grows on Polanski over Zionism motion

The by-election result comes amid a separate controversy over a motion passed by Green Party members at their recent conference.

The motion declared that Zionism is a form of racism, prompting criticism from some within and outside the party.

Polanski has said he would not have voted for the motion in its current form. He argued that amendments should have been accepted to address concerns about the wording, including protections for Jewish members and language proposing a single democratic Palestinian state.

Those amendments were rejected by conference delegates.

Polanski said he was campaigning in Holborn and St Pancras and did not participate in the vote. He has also said the party is investigating a member associated with the motion following questions about information reported in court documents.

The member concerned has rejected what she described as defamatory claims about her.

The controversy has exposed disagreements within the Greens over how to express their position on Israel and Palestine while addressing concerns about antisemitism and the treatment of Jewish members.

Jewish Greens chair calls for resignation

Vivien Lichtenstein, chair of the Jewish Greens group, has called on Polanski to resign as party leader over his handling of the motion.

Speaking to Times Radio, Lichtenstein said she believed his failure to participate in the conference debate was a serious mistake. She also said she was considering leaving the party, while discussing the matter with colleagues and senior members.

Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas has also criticised the motion, describing it as divisive and flawed.

Polanski has defended his position, saying party members can disagree and reiterating that he wants a political process in which Israelis and Palestinians determine the future of the region.

He has indicated that he intends to remain leader following the by-election defeat.

Lichtenstein's call for his resignation represents one side of an ongoing internal debate; it does not mean that a leadership change has been agreed or announced.

What does the result mean for the Greens?

The Greens finished second, more than 3,300 votes behind Labour. Polanski has nevertheless argued that the party's increased support demonstrates progress and that it could compete for the seat again in a future election.

The result also comes at a time when Labour is seeking to rebuild trust among voters, including people who have considered alternatives to the party.

Some voters interviewed in Camden said they remained dissatisfied with local and national Labour politics, while others welcomed Abdi-Wali's victory and wanted action on poverty and housing.

As with any by-election, the result reflects the choices of those who voted in this particular contest. It should not automatically be treated as a verdict on the views of the entire country.

The issues facing the new MP

For Abdi-Wali, the immediate challenge is turning campaign promises into action.

Homelessness, housing affordability, the cost of living and opportunities for younger residents featured prominently in the concerns reported during the campaign.

Her ability to make progress will depend on the policies she pursues, the resources available and cooperation with other levels of government and relevant organisations.

For the Greens, the challenge is different: responding to the election result while managing a dispute that has raised questions about the party's approach to Zionism, Israel and Palestine, antisemitism and internal decision-making.

The political picture

Labour has secured the Holborn and St Pancras seat, with Sagal Abdi-Wali now set to represent the constituency in Parliament.

The Greens have finished second, and Polanski has defended the campaign as evidence of growing support despite falling short of victory.

At the same time, the call for Polanski to resign shows that the conference motion remains a source of disagreement within the Green Party.

The result therefore brings two developments into focus: Labour's victory in a closely watched by-election and an unresolved debate over the Greens' leadership and political direction.

The next test will be whether Abdi-Wali can deliver on her commitments to local residents—and how Polanski and the Greens respond to the questions now facing their party.