Polanski faces Green rival in his pursuit of Keir Starmer’s old seat

Zack Polanski is facing unexpected opposition from his own party in his attempt to fight the Holborn and St Pancras byelection for the Greens, with a local councillor saying he is also seeking the nomination, and that the seat does not need “a politician you’ll only see on a leaflet”.

The intervention by Hamza Chowdhury, a Green representative on Camden council in north London, came as the date for the byelection was confirmed for 8 October, after Keir Starmer’s formal resignation as an MP.

This is also potentially problematic for the Greens, given the vote comes just a week after their conference, meaning the final weekend of campaigning takes place as many party activists will be gathered in Brighton.

In a post on Instagram on Monday, Chowdhury said he had received nominations from six other Camden Green councillors, meaning seven of the 10 Greens on the authority oppose Polanski being selected.

Among those backing Chowdhury is Lorna Russell, the group leader in Camden for the Green party, which is the official opposition to Labour.

Polanski, the leader of the Greens in England and Wales, announced on Thursday that he would seek the nomination to fight the seat vacated by Starmer, setting up a high-stakes byelection against Labour.

Local party members will vote later this week to select a candidate, and the Guardian has been told that they are broadly supportive of Polanski standing.

But such high-profile opposition is notable, especially given Chowdhury argued that Polanski, who lives in east London, would be unable to properly represent the area if he won.

Chowdhury wrote: “I know Camden because I live it every day. I know the challenges facing our communities, our estates, our broken lifts, our unpicked bins, our unclean roads and endless housing register waiting list because these are the places I have grown up and continue to call home.

“We don’t need another MP who arrives during an election campaign, puts out a few leaflets, makes a few promises and disappears once the votes are counted. We need an MP who is present, accessible and visibly part of the community all year round.

“I am asking Green party members for the opportunity to represent your home truly and properly. I’m not asking you to vote for a politician you’ll only see on a leaflet. I’m asking you to choose someone who is already here.”

Speaking to the Guardian while canvassing in the constituency at the weekend, Polanski said that even if he wins he will not move to the area, but cycle from his flat in Hackney.

He said: “I can cycle to the constituency really quickly. In fact, the length of the constituency is just as fast for me to cycle,” he says. “I’d regularly be here, doing surgeries and representing people.”

Polanski has said his party is the underdog in a constituency won by Starmer with an 11,000-plus majority in the 2024 election. The Greens have already flooded the area with canvassers, hoping to mimic the model used to overturn a 13,000-plus Labour majority in Greater Manchester’s Gorton and Denton in February.