Zack Polanski to be Green Party candidate for Keir Starmer's old seat
Green Party leader Zack Polanski has been selected to run in the by-election for the Holborn and St Pancras seat, formerly held by Sir Keir Starmer. The election serves as an early test for Prime Minister Andy Burnham's administration and the Green Party's ambition to challenge Labour in urban areas.
Why it matters
This by-election is a significant indicator of shifting political dynamics in the UK and the electoral strength of the Green Party against the ruling Labour government.
Image source, PA Media By Richard Wheeler Political reporter Published 11 September 2026, 11:07 BST Updated 12:06 BST Green Party leader Zack Polanski has been selected as the party's candidate in the by-election for Sir Keir Starmer's former seat in Parliament.
Polanski, who is a London Assembly member, will stand in Holborn and St Pancras on 8 October as he seeks to become an MP.
He was voted to be the party's candidate by members of the Camden Green Party ahead of local councillor Hamza Chowdhury.
Polanski said the Greens "might be the underdog in this election but we have the momentum and we can win".
He also spoke of how he made Camden "my home" when he first moved to London 20 years ago, adding he has "lived and worked across Holborn and St Pancras for many of the years since".
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