Green Party Leader Polanski Seeks Starmer's Vacated Parliamentary Seat

Green Party leader Zack Polanski announced Thursday he will seek nomination for the Holborn and St Pancras parliamentary seat vacated by Keir Starmer.

Starmer, who represented the London constituency for over a decade, stepped down this week. The by-election, expected later this year, has become a closely watched contest. Polanski, who has led the Green Party for a year, aims to secure the nomination from local party members. In the 2024 general election, Starmer won 48.9 percent of the vote in Holborn and St Pancras, with the Greens finishing third at 10.4 percent.

However, Green Party performance in local elections in May showed stronger support in the borough, with 28.8 percent of votes across wards compared to Labour's 38.8 percent, leading to Green gains in Starmer's former area. Polanski's potential candidacy follows a period where the Green Party's national polling has seen a decline, falling to 13% in August from a March high of 21%.

Some of this decline is attributed to media attention surrounding a retweet Polanski made in May concerning police handling of a stabbing suspect. A win for Polanski would make him the Green Party's first Member of Parliament from London.