Labour's Sagal Abdi-Wali won the Holborn and St Pancras byelection, holding off Green party leader Zack Polanski in a closely watched contest for the left of British politics.
Key facts
- Sagal Abdi-Wali won the seat for Labour with 12,292 votes.
- Green party leader Zack Polanski came second with 8,928 votes.
- The margin of victory was around 3,300 votes.
- The byelection was triggered by former PM Keir Starmer resigning the seat in September.
- Polanski said he 'absolutely' intends to remain Green party leader.
Labour has retained the north London seat of Holborn and St Pancras, with Sagal Abdi-Wali defeating Green party leader Zack Polanski in a byelection widely framed as a high-stakes battle for the left of British politics.
Abdi-Wali received 12,292 votes to Polanski’s 8,928, according to the Guardian, giving Labour a margin of roughly 3,300 votes, as reported by Al Jazeera. The contest had been considered a two-horse race between the two candidates.
The byelection was called after former prime minister Keir Starmer resigned the seat in September. The Guardian reported that the victory will be a relief for Andy Burnham amid the broader contest over the direction of the left.
According to the Guardian, activists in Camden suggested the Greens’ decision to back an anti-Zionism motion had cost them votes. Councillors for both Labour and the Liberal Democrats told the Press Association that some voters said they would not back the Green party after it passed the motion last weekend calling Zionism racism.
Despite the defeat, the Greens cast the result as a sign of progress, saying it was clear they would come a close second in one of Labour’s safest seats. The party said voters want it to keep Labour’s ‘feet to the fire’ on affordable housing, public ownership of water and the climate crisis, and pledged to hold Labour to account ‘every single day.’
Polanski said he ‘absolutely’ intends to remain as Green party leader following the result, according to the Guardian.
Why it matters
The byelection was seen as a test of the Green party's ability to challenge Labour on its left flank in one of its safest seats. Labour's win, while reduced in margin, signals the party can still fend off a rising Green challenge in urban strongholds.
Frequently asked questions
Who won the Holborn and St Pancras byelection?
Labour's Sagal Abdi-Wali won the seat, defeating Green party leader Zack Polanski by around 3,300 votes.
Why was the byelection held?
It was called after former prime minister Keir Starmer resigned the seat in September.
Will Zack Polanski stay on as Green party leader?
Yes. According to the Guardian, Polanski said he 'absolutely' intends to remain as Green party leader despite the defeat.