Labour fends off Green party to win Holborn and St Pancras byelection

Labour Secures Electoral Victory in Holborn and St Pancras Byelection After Defeating Green Challenger

Labour Secured a decisive victory in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection, decisively defeating the Green party candidate.

The by-election, triggered by Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s resignation in September, pitted Labour candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali against Green leader Zack Polanski in a contested contest. Abdi-Wali amassed 12,292 votes compared to Polanski’s 8,928.

Voter turnout stood at 38.7%, marking the lowest participation level for any byelection in England since the start of this parliamentary term and representing a 15.4% drop from the 2024 election cycle.

In response to the outcome, Green Party representatives acknowledged the loss, noting that confronting Labour in such a secure seat underscores the party’s growing momentum.

Labour’s triumph provides reassurance for Andy Burnham ahead of his first major electoral test as Prime Minister, while reinforcing poll indicators that have shown a recovery in public backing formerly lost under Starmer.

Although starmer achieved an 11,572-seat majority for Labour in the 2024 general race, the subsequent byelection presentation carries uncertainty. Former Leftist Independent Andrew Feinstein placed second nationally, and the Greens extracted additional Camden council positions during the May local contests.

Serving as Camden Council’s leader, Abdi-Wali brings a background as a refugee; he migrated to the United Kingdom as a child from Somalia during the 1990s.

Defending Reform UK’s position, its home affairs representative Zia Yusuf faced criticism from Labour of explicit racism after describing Conservative constituents as being forced into the party and doubting their citizenship status.

The Greens launched an intensive field operation, mobilizing countless volunteers to engage households across the area prior to choosing Polanski as the official nominee.

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Polanski campaigning in the constituency, where his party deployed teams to conduct door‑to‑door outreach. Photograph: Andy Hall/The Guardian

Polanski’s defeat marks a prolonged period of strain for his green organization, which experienced internal upheaval after voting earlier in the week to classify Zionism as equivalent to racial discrimination. The proposal, advanced by Green members at the assembly, required replacing Israeli governance with a singular Palestinian authority. While the faction’s Jewish leaders issued condemnation and hinted at exit, the measure survived with support from several peers. Nevertheless, detractors argued the definition risked politicizing notions of Jewish homeland aspirations.

Absent from the deliberations, Polanski abstained from voting, prompting concern among allies about insufficient command presence. Following the poll tally, ex‑Green leader Caroline Lucas declined to confirm whether Polanski ought to relinquish the mandate. Addressing broadcasting outlets, she demanded improved leadership, pointing to glaring deficiencies highlighted during the session.

Over preceding months, both the Green bloc’s nationwide rankings and Polanski’s standing in public opinion polls have slipped, tracing a downward trend that started after a previous surge in early summer, notably reflected by the landmark triumph in Gorton and Denton late last spring.

Near midway through the encounter, George Galloway, operating from abroad, secured entry onto the ballot as part of a “self‑exile” candidacy—a development feared by fellow greens as potentially diverting support toward his side. Galloway garnered 314 ballots.

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