Green party members back Zack Polanski to stand in London byelection

Zack Polanski moved a step closer in his quest to become an MP on Wednesday, with local Green party members supporting him to become the party’s candidate in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection.

The party leader in England and Wales started campaigning alongside his fellow Green, Hannah Spencer, the MP for Gorton and Denton, in the Holborn area on Tuesday, and is seriously considering putting himself forward as the party’s candidate in the seat vacated by Keir Starmer on Monday.

Green party sources said local party members would have the final say on the selected candidate, but the Guardian understands local members are supportive of Polanski running, with no clear local activist with significant support expected to oppose him. It is understood nominations will open soon and candidates will be selected by the end of next week.

Lorna Jane Russell, the leader of the Greens on the local Camden council, will not stand, having previously expressed a desire to focus on her role as the leader of the opposition at Camden Town Hall and her pregnancy.

On the anniversary of his election on 2 September 2025, Polanski said the byelection would be a “referendum on ending rip-off Britain”, adding: “I am very excited for the next chapter for myself, for the Greens and for people across the country.”

Sources inside the party in London said that the rise in membership since Polanski became leader made him the favourite for the role.

“There would be a lot of excitement about him standing,” said one Green party source. “This is the kind of seat that has always had high-profile figures and I think having someone with Zack’s profile would play very well with local party members.”

The move is not without risk for Polanski, with the former prime minister’s seat traditionally considered to be safe for Labour. The Green party leader may prefer to contest a seat in Hackney, where the party has recently won the mayoralty, if a sitting MP such as Diane Abbott were to step down. In a difficult political climate in the May local elections, Labour lost seats but held on to Camden council. “This is not Gorton and Denton,” said one Labour source. “The Burnham bounce will help.”

Tulip Siddiq, the Labour MP for Hampstead and Highgate, said party members were already out campaigning and were confident they could retain the seat. “I know Camden through and through and I do believe that we can win this,” she said.

Siddiq added: “I think the Labour vote is resilient and I think Andy Burnham’s pledges on the doorstep are being gratefully received by people in Camden. Certainly I’ll be out campaigning every day and giving it my best shot.”

Labour will not run an all-women shortlist and will announce their candidate by next Wednesday, with applications closing on Friday and shortlisting expected by the start of next week.

The frontrunner is thought to be Sagal Abdi-Wali, who came to the UK as a child refugee from Somalia and has been the leader of Camden council since May. “She’s got a compelling personal story and can reach people from all faiths and backgrounds in Camden,” said one Labour source. “She’s also been really active in the local party for a long time. Lots of people know her and like her.”

Adam Hug, the former leader of Westminster council who lost his job leading the council when the Conservatives took control of it in May’s local election, is also a mooted name. Other possible candidates are Nash Ali, the former mayor of Camden, and Rishi Madlani, a former Camden councillor.

Abdi-Wali is close to Starmer and local Labour sources said any attempts to bring in a candidate not from the area would be met with fierce criticism. “It will be interesting to see if Burnham has the same appeal in north London as Makerfield,” said one. “A lot of the policies he’s been talking about feel more geared towards the rest of the country, not really London.”