The Labour Party has successfully defended its parliamentary seat in the central London constituency of Holborn and St Pancras. Candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali, who leads the local council, secured 12,292 votes in the by-election, comfortably outpacing Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who finished with 8,928 votes. The seat was vacated by former Labour leader Keir Starmer. After conceding defeat, Polanski, who is not an MP, answered his critics, saying he would stay on as leader, and described the result as part of “Andy Burnham’s honeymoon”.
This victory provides a significant lift to Prime Minister Andy Burnham. Lawmakers had been concerned that the unpopularity of the previous leadership might create an opening for the populist Reform UK party in upcoming national elections. Observers are referring to the current momentum for the party as the “Burnham bounce,” with Labour figures expressing a collective sigh of relief at holding the constituency.
Labour has maintained control of the Holborn seat since its inception in 1983. In the 2024 general election, Starmer claimed victory with 49 percent of the vote, while independent pro-Palestine candidate Andrew Feinstein finished second with 19 percent. Feinstein recently remarked that Polanski’s leadership has successfully increased the “progressive vote” while simultaneously “reducing the Labour vote.”
The Green Party, which has grown to five MPs from just one in 2023, has become increasingly critical of Israel’s conduct, particularly regarding the war in Gaza. Despite the result, 43-year-old Polanski stated that he intends to remain in his leadership role. He congratulated Abdi-Wali on her win but emphasized that one in three voters in the constituency backed the Green Party, suggesting that many others had considered it.
Polanski has faced recent internal and public scrutiny following an annual conference motion declaring that Zionism is racism. This proposal, which advocated for “the establishment of a single democratic Palestinian State in all of historic Palestine,” drew criticism from other political parties, Jewish groups, and the majority of Green Party lawmakers. Polanski did not participate in the vote on that motion.
Abdi-Wali, who arrived in the UK as a child refugee from Somalia, framed her success as a victory against “those who seek to divide us.” Addressing her supporters, she noted the importance of defending community achievements for future generations. While Labour appears to have regained some of the left-wing support lost to the Greens earlier this year, the by-election results have sparked ongoing discussions regarding the future direction of the Green Party under Polanski’s leadership. “We have a responsibility to defend what we’ve built and pass it on,” she said.
