Labour Holds Holborn Seat as Green Leader Zack Polanski Finishes Second

Labour has retained the Holborn and St Pancras parliamentary seat after Sagal Abdi-Wali defeated Green Party leader Zack Polanski in the by-election held following Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation as an MP. Abdi-Wali received 12,292 votes, representing 45.17% of the total, while Polanski finished second with 8,928 votes, or 32.81%, according to the declared results on Thursday, 8 October 2026.

The result preserves Labour’s hold on the north London constituency while demonstrating the Green Party’s increased support in a seat that has traditionally favoured Labour. Polanski confirmed after the defeat that he intended to remain leader of the Green Party and said he would consider standing for Parliament again in a constituency where he had strong local connections.

Sagal Abdi-Wali Wins Holborn and St Pancras

Abdi-Wali’s victory makes her the new MP for Holborn and St Pancras, the constituency previously represented by former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

In her victory speech, she highlighted homelessness, public accountability and the future of water services as priorities for her parliamentary work. She also spoke about the importance of social cohesion after facing racist abuse during the election campaign.

Abdi-Wali, who came to the UK as a child refugee from Somalia, said the country’s diversity was a strength and warned against allowing divisions to undermine relationships built across generations.

Her victory means Labour has retained the seat despite a strong challenge from the Greens. The party’s performance will be examined as an indication of how voters in a traditionally Labour-supporting constituency are responding to changes in the political landscape.

Zack Polanski Says He Will Remain Green Leader

Polanski rejected suggestions that the defeat would prompt him to resign as Green Party leader.

Asked whether he intended to continue in the role, he told Sky News: “Yes absolutely. That is what leaders do.”

He also said he remained interested in becoming an MP and would consider contesting another suitable constituency in London. Polanski has previously served as a London Assembly member and has longstanding connections with the capital, including Holborn and St Pancras and Hackney.

The result presents the Green Party with competing considerations. Its candidate finished behind Labour, but the party increased its share of the vote substantially compared with the 2024 general election.

The Greens have presented the outcome as evidence that they can challenge Labour in urban constituencies. However, the gap between the two leading candidates means the party will face questions about how it can convert increased support into parliamentary victories.

What the Result Means for Labour and the Greens

The by-election was closely watched because of the political circumstances surrounding Starmer’s departure from Parliament and the challenge posed by Polanski.

Labour secured 45.17% of the vote, compared with the 48.9% recorded by Starmer in the constituency at the 2024 general election. The Green Party, meanwhile, substantially improved its position, finishing second with 32.81%.

The figures suggest that Labour retained a sizeable lead while the Greens strengthened their presence among voters in the constituency. The result may also inform discussions within both parties about housing, the cost of living, public services and the priorities of younger and economically insecure voters.

Political analysts have described the outcome as a mixed result for the two parties. Labour retained a seat that it had been expected to defend, while the Greens demonstrated an ability to attract a substantial share of the electorate without winning the constituency.

For Labour, the result offers reassurance that the party can hold a strong position in a competitive political environment. For the Greens, it raises the question of whether their increased vote share can be extended to constituencies where Labour remains firmly established.

Green Party Faces Questions Over Policy and Direction

The campaign also took place amid controversy over a motion passed at the Green Party conference defining Zionism as a political ideology associated with the creation and continuation of an ethnonationalist Jewish state in historic Palestine.

The motion and the party’s position on Israel and Palestine prompted debate both inside and outside the party. Polanski, who is Jewish, addressed the controversy after the result and discussed his views on equality and the rights of Palestinians and Israelis.

He said he had grown up in a Zionist household and had subsequently educated himself on the issue. He also argued that equal rights should apply regardless of faith or religion.

The debate has raised questions about how the Greens balance international issues with traditional priorities such as environmental protection, housing and public services. Some party figures and activists have questioned whether the controversy affected the campaign, although the available result alone cannot establish what motivated individual voters.

The party’s challenge will be to maintain its existing support while broadening its appeal to voters who may prioritise different domestic and international issues.

Abdi-Wali Sets Out Priorities as New MP

Following her election, Abdi-Wali identified homelessness as a central concern and called for greater accountability from Thames Water, the water company serving London and other parts of England.

Her comments placed public services and living conditions at the centre of her initial message to constituents. She also stressed the importance of protecting community cohesion following the racist abuse she experienced during the campaign.

The new MP now faces the task of representing a diverse constituency while responding to local concerns about housing, essential services and the cost of living.

The Holborn and St Pancras result provides an early indication of the political contest that could develop between Labour and the Greens in parts of London. Labour has retained the parliamentary seat, but the Greens’ second-place finish demonstrates that the constituency’s political dynamics are changing.