The party leader is officially running to become MP for Holborn & St Pancras in by-election after winning unexpected selection contest against local councillor
Zack Polanski has been officially chosen as the Green Party candidate in the race for Keir Starmer’s old parliamentary seat, having fended off an internal challenge from a local councillor.
The contest over who will succeed the former Prime Minister to represent Holborn & St Pancras is widely seen as a two-horse race between the Green leader, who is currently a member of the London Assembly, and Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali, the leader of Camden Council.
In a packed room at the events hall King’s Place on Friday, September 11, the Green MP Hannah Spencer announced Polanski’s selection – just over a week after he declared his intention to stand.
Accepting the nomination, he said: “I’ve spent the last five years representing people here as a London Assembly Member, pushing the Mayor to do better on the issues that matter to people. And if elected as your MP, I will fight every single day – in this constituency and in the Houses of Parliament – for the things you care about.
“For rent controls, new council homes, justice and fairness for leaseholders, so that people can afford to stay in the places they call home. We must end the scandal of water companies pumping sewage into our rivers and charging us extra for that privilege. We must bring down bills for everyone, and we must have communities where everyone feels safe and supported. This is it. This is the moment.”
Mr Polanski was backed by a majority of the local party, who were asked to choose between their national leader and Camden Green councillor, Hamza Chowdhury, who unexpectedly intervened earlier this week to say he was also seeking the nomination.
Chowdhury claimed that he was better suited to represent the area if he won than Polanski, who resides in East London. The councillor, who was elected to represent Holborn and Covent Garden on the council in May, said on Monday (September 7): “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.”
Mr Polanski, 44, confirmed that if he were elected MP for the constituency he would not move to Camden because he could “easily cycle” in.
Cllr Lorna Jane Russell, leader of the Greens in Camden, said: “I’m absolutely delighted to welcome Zack’s selection as our candidate. As our party leader, he has shown a real willingness to be bold, to challenge the status quo and put forward the radical ideas we need to build a fairer, greener future.
“I can’t wait for him to bring that same energy and leadership to Camden, standing up for local people, listening to their concerns and showing what Green politics can deliver in practice. I know he’ll be a fantastic MP for Holborn and St Pancras and I’m really excited to work with him and do everything we can to make that happen.”
Both Labour and the Greens have now unveiled their candidates for the by-election, scheduled for October 8, after Sagal Abdi-Wali was revealed as Labour’s pick on Wednesday, September 9.
Cllr Abdi-Wali, 42, became Camden’s first Black woman leader in May after her predecessor, Richard Olszewski, lost his seat at the local elections.
She has served as councillor for Camden Square since 2022 and in that time held the housing and adult social care briefs on the council’s cabinet. Having fled Somalia as a child refugee, she was previously chair of the local constituency Labour party after being elected to the council.
“I am delighted that local members have put their trust in me to be Labour’s candidate in the area I’ve grown up in. This place welcomed my family as refugees and gave us hope when we needed it most. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to build a life here, serving our community as a councillor, school governor, and community activist.
“Now I am standing to say thank you and to give back the hope you gave me. Throughout this campaign, I promise to put our communities at the heart of everything I do, now and for the future. Together, we can make hope win,” she said.
The much-anticipated by-election will take place on October 8. The other main party candidates are yet to be announced. The Liberal Democrats’ deadline for nominations closes at noon on Friday, September 11, according to the party’s website.
