The Labour Party has won the Holborn and St Pancras by-election after the Green Party conceded defeat.
The election for Sir Keir Starmer’s old seat was fiercely contested by a total of 15 candidates, including Green leader Zack Polanski and Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali.
It marked a defining moment for Polanski, who contested the Labour stronghold in a bid to join his party’s five MPs in Parliament.
The seat has been held by Labour since its formation in 1983, including for 11 years by Starmer between 2015 and September of this year.
That remains unchanged today, although the Green Party insists the results reflect a close race.
Follow The i Paper’s live blog for all the latest.
‘Clearly racist’: Polanski breaks silence on controversial Zionism policy
Zack Polanski has broken his silence on the Green Party’s controversial Zionism policy, saying he believed the “ongoing genocide and the displacement” of Palestinians was “clearly racist”.
“I grew up in a Zionist household, and I grew up with the idea that that region was a land without people and the people without a land,” he told media on Friday morning.
“As I’ve educated myself, learned, discovered. I don’t believe that’s true, and what we’re seeing is an ongoing genocide and the displacement of the Palestinian people. I believe that’s clearly racist.”
When asked whether he supported a two-state solution, Polanski added it was “not our role to decide” before insisting states should have equal rights and should adhere to international human law.
Polanski vows to stay on as Green leader despite defeat
Zack Polanski has vowed to stay on as Green Party leader despite losing the Holburn and St Pancras by-election.
Speaking to after his party conceded defeat, Polanski replied “of course I can carry on” when asked about his future.
“I wanted to win, no one runs an election to lose, but ultimately what I’ve seen over the last few weeks are people who are excited about our plans for rent controls, tackling the climate crisis, and nationalising Thames Water,” he added.
Polanski also noted the party had tripled its vote share compared to the last general election.
Abdi-Wali says victory ‘deeply personal’
Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali has issued her first remarks after winning the Holburn and St Pancras by-election.
“This moment means something deeply personal to me, to represent the place that gave me a home and my family at home, gave me opportunity and helped me shape, and help shape the person I am today,” she told those gathered at the count.
“I hope this moment also says something about who gets to belong. For people who look like me, I hope they see themselves reflected in this place and know that their path too belongs here.”
Abdi-Wali arrived in Camden as a child refugee, having fled Somalia’s civil war.
Labour win by-election with 45.17 per cent vote share
Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali has won the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, securing 45.17 per cent of the votes.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski polled second, winning 8,928 votes to Abdi-Wali’s 12,292.
The Conservative’s Ewan Cameron, 1,922 votes, came third, with Reform UK’s Peter Newman, 1,612 votes, close behind.
Turnout for the by-election was 38.6 per cent, well down on the 54.1 recorded at the general election.
Despite Labour’s solid margin of victory, the Green Party saw a dramatic increase in their support, effectively tripling their vote share from 2024.
Analysis: Burnham has passed an early test – but the Greens threat isn’t gone
Andy Burnham has passed an early test of his premiership.
Defeat in a seat Labour has held since 1983, and to the Green leader himself, would have raised questions over whether the “Burnham bounce” was already fading.
Instead, victory suggests his pitch to left-wing voters is working – at least, in London.
For the Greens, it is a significant setback. Zack Polanski stood even as YouGov had his party slipping from 21 per cent in March to 13 per cent in August, and the gamble has not paid off.
It also denies him the leverage he wanted. When he was selected, he said a Green win would “make a huge difference” to the chances of progressive Budget measures. Without a seat, he must keep pressuring Burnham from outside Parliament.
But one result does not end the threat. YouGov’s 13 per cent is still almost double the Greens’ 2024 general election share. In May’s Camden council elections, they finished just ten points behind Labour across the constituency’s wards.
Labour has held the seat. Holding back the Greens nationally may prove harder.
A spokesperson for the Green Party has conceded the Holborn and St Pancras by-election to Labour.
“It is clear now we will come a close second in this by-election. Taking the fight to Labour in one of its safest seats shows just how far the Greens have come,” they said in a statement.
“Voters want us to keep Labour’s feet to the fire on affordable housing, public ownership of water and the climate crisis.
“Greens will be there every single day, holding Labour to account and demanding the change people voted for.”
Party leader, Zack Polanski, is yet to comment on the result, with reporting he was meeting Green voters and volunteers present at the count.