Polanski seeks Green candidacy for Starmer’s former seat

Green Party leader Zack Polanski says he wants to run for Parliament in the by-election triggered by Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation as MP for Holborn and St Pancras, setting up a contest in a London seat long held by Labour.

Polanski, a London Assembly member who is not currently an MP, told the Camden New Journal he was “so excited by the prospect” of representing the constituency. He still needs to be selected by local Green Party members to become the party’s official candidate, the BBC reported.

“I have lived and worked in this community over many years. I know it well, and I love it,” Polanski said. “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.”

He added: “It’s a clear fight between Labour and the Green Party.”

The Greens are targeting Holborn and St Pancras after coming second to Labour in local elections in the area earlier this year, according to the BBC. Al Jazeera reported that Starmer held the left-leaning constituency comfortably in the 2024 general election, though with a much-reduced vote share.

Starmer announced Tuesday that he would stand down as MP for the central London constituency, a seat he had represented since 2015. His resignation came after he stepped down as prime minister, with the BBC reporting that move took place two months earlier and Al Jazeera reporting it was six weeks earlier. Both outlets said he left office after losing the support of Labour MPs.

Starmer had previously said he would remain in Parliament until the next general election, which is not due until 2029. He said this week it was the “right time” to “pass the baton to a successor.”

“I will now focus on other things and that will be international affairs including defence, security, trade and technology in a fast-changing world,” Starmer said, adding that he would continue work to combat violence against women and girls.

The by-election date has not been set. Labour has not yet chosen its candidate, with applications closing Friday, according to the BBC. The contest is expected to be an early political test for Starmer’s successor, Andy Burnham.

The Green Party currently has five MPs, the BBC reported. Polanski, who became Green leader a year ago, has sought to challenge Labour from the left. “Labour stands up for corporations and big money,” he wrote on X. “I’ll stand up for people and our communities.”

Al Jazeera reported that since Polanski became leader, the Greens have taken support from Labour’s left, won a surprise by-election victory in Greater Manchester and polled nationally as high as 20 percent.

But the race could be complicated by divisions among voters and activists. The BBC reported that some local Green activists are said to favour a Palestinian candidate or a pro-Gaza independent. It is also unclear whether Andrew Feinstein, the independent runner-up to Starmer in the constituency at the 2024 general election, will stand again, a move that could split the vote.

Al Jazeera reported that in the last general election an independent candidate campaigning primarily against Israel’s war in Gaza took nearly 19 percent of the vote in Holborn and St Pancras, while the Green candidate received more than 10 percent.

Polanski has also faced criticism. His personal popularity fell after he criticised police officers over the arrest of a man accused of stabbing two Jewish people in north London in April, Al Jazeera reported, citing pollsters YouGov.