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Andy Burnham faces a test of his re-energised Labour Party on Thursday as voters turn out to decide who will replace Sir Keir Starmer as MP for St Holborn and St Pancras.
Local council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali is hoping to hold the seat for Labour after the former prime minister announced he was resigning as an MP last month.
But she will still have to fend off a challenge from the Green Party, who will be fielding party leader Zack Polanski as their candidate.
It has been a difficult week for Mr Polanski, however, after the Greens passed a controversial motion at their conference in Brighton asserting that “Zionism is racism”.
The election will offer Mr Burnham a chance to show he is restoring voters’ faith in the Labour Party, after its poll ratings nosedived during Sir Keir’s time in No 10.
There are 13 other candidates in the by-election, including Tory candidate Ewan Cameron, Reform UK’s Peter Newman and the Liberal Democrats’ Patrick Thomas Stillman.
When will vote counting begin?
The count will begin after polling stations close at 10pm on Thursday.
The result of by-elections usually are announced in the early hours of the morning the following day.
In 2024, the result in the general election vote in Holborn and St Pancras was announced at 4.15am.
What time is the Holborn and St Pancras by-election announced and is there an exit poll?
The seat has been a Labour stronghold for 32 years, but dozens of candidates are standing for election, with the Green Party in particular hoping to break the decades-long streak as Zack Polanski eyes a seat in the House of Commons.
It could be a defining moment for Mr Polanski’s leadership of the party, which has seen a surge in membership and record-breaking results in the May 2026 local elections, gaining more than 440 councillors and gaining control of five councils.
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Polanski says election is 'looking close today'
Ahead of polls opening on Thursday, the Green Party leader said: “The election is looking close today.
“We already have a Labour government, a Labour council and a Labour mayor.
“Isn’t it time for a Green voice for Camden to push Labour to do better on issues like rent controls and to put Thames Water into public ownership – issues where they’ve been backtracking?
“On the climate crisis, today is the day to say clearly to Labour, ‘no new drilling in the North Sea’ – a decision they chose to delay until after the by-election result. That makes your vote powerful.
“A vote for the Greens today can show Labour the right direction. Make it happen today.”
Who is Reform's candidate in the Holborn by-election?
Reform UK has chosen a former Metropolitan Police detective to stand in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, the party has announced.
Former counter-terrorism commander Pete Newman, who responded to the aftermath of the July 7 bombings, will contest the seat vacated by Sir Keir Starmer.
The party said he had specifically led the Met in Westminster to return the borough back to normality and helping businesses to build resilience to future acts of terrorism.
Who is standing in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election?
Green Party leader Zack Polanski is among more than a dozen candidates who are days away from a crucial by-election in Sir Keir Starmer’s former seat of Holborn and St Pancras.
The contest in the north London constituency is a major test for both Mr Polanski and new Labour leader Andy Burnham, as voters issue what is seen to be their verdict on the prime minister’s first weeks in office.
Candidates from all major parties are fighting for votes, but Mr Polanski and Labour council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali are expected to be the main contenders.
In pictures: Early morning voters go to polling station
Voting gets underway in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.
Prime minister has 'no doubt' Labour's candidate will make 'brilliant local MP'
Andy Burnham said he has “no doubt” Labour’s candidate in the by-election, Sagal Abdi-Wali, will make a “brilliant local MP”.
He said: “Today, hope can win. But only if you vote for it.
“This area gave Sagal a home when she arrived here as a refugee in the 1990s. Camden gave Sagal and her family hope. Now she wants to give that back to the communities that have always been there for her.
“It’s hard to think of someone more committed to their local area and the care of people than Sagal.
“Sagal has a plan to take on vested interests in our water industry, to work with me to help end rough sleeping, and to make sure every young person has the opportunities they deserve to get on in life.
“Sagal is bursting with energy and positivity. She’s given so much to Camden already, and I know she has so much more to give. For Camden, for hope, vote for Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali today.”
Polanski makes one more plea
Ahead of polls opening on Thursday, the Green Party leader said: “The election is looking close today.
“We already have a Labour government, a Labour council and a Labour mayor.
“Isn’t it time for a Green voice for Camden to push Labour to do better on issues like rent controls and to put Thames Water into public ownership – issues where they’ve been backtracking?
“On the climate crisis, today is the day to say clearly to Labour, ‘no new drilling in the North Sea’ – a decision they chose to delay until after the by-election result. That makes your vote powerful.
“A vote for the Greens today can show Labour the right direction. Make it happen today.”
By-election falls on difficult week for Green Party leader
The by-election has fallen on a difficult week for Zack Polanski, after the Green Party passed a controversial motion at its conference in Brighton asserting that “Zionism is racism”.
Mr Polanski, who abstained on the vote, later said that he will “not accept any exclusion, or refusal to engage with anyone, because of the religious or communal body they are part of”.
Polls have opened in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election as candidates fight to replace Sir Keir Starmer as the MP for the north London constituency.
The seat has been a Labour stronghold since its formation in 1983, held by Frank Dobson for 32 years and Sir Keir for 11.
However, Green Party leader Zack Polanski is running in the by-election, hoping to break Labour’s clean sheet and secure his own seat in the House of Commons.
It could be a defining moment for Mr Polanski’s leadership of the party, which has seen a surge in membership and record-breaking results in the May 2026 local elections, gaining more than 440 councillors and gaining control of five councils.