Exclusive: The London-wide Assembly Member is preparing to step down if elected, insiders say
Zack Polanski will step down as a member of the London Assembly if he is elected as an MP in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, the Local Democracy Reporting Service (LDRS) has learned.
The Green Party leader, who has sat in City Hall since 2021, has declared his interest in running in Sir Keir Starmer’s former constituency after the ex-Prime Minister resigned earlier this week.
With his party on the rise in London, insiders say they believe they have a chance of taking the stronghold in the upcoming by-election.
Mr Polanski, who was elected as the leader of the Greens a year ago, currently sits as one of three Assembly Members for the party. He has previously said that he would like to eventually run for a seat in Parliament, most likely at the next General Election.
In an interview with the LDRS earlier this year, however, he said he was committed to serving out his term, which ends in 2028.
“Right now I’m serving every single Londoner – in terms of a Parliamentary seat, I would love to run in one and it will definitely be in London,” Mr Polanski said.
But Green Party sources told the LDRS that, should he be selected for the candidacy and subsequently elected to Parliament, his time in City Hall would come to an end.
As he is a London-wide Assembly Member and does not represent a constituency, there would be no precedent to hold a by-election.
His party colleague Zoe Garbett stepped down from the London Assembly in May after being elected Mayor of Hackney, with Benali Hamdache taking her place.
Ms Garbett herself was only adopted onto the Assembly in 2024 after Sian Berry stepped down to run for the Brighton Pavilion seat in Parliament.
Hina Bokhari, who leads the Liberal Democrats on the London Assembly, told the LDRS: “This could potentially mean another Green Assembly Member seeing City Hall as a stepping stone for their own personal progression.
“The role of scrutinising the Mayor of London is a serious job serving the people of London and should not to be used for political convenience.”
Electoral rules state that Mr Polanski would be able to hold both roles, albeit with a two-thirds abatement to their salary. A City Hall source said this was to avoid “double hatting”.
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