Zack Polanski insisted he will remain leader of the Green Party in England and Wales despite failing to break through in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, where Labour held the seat following Keir Starmer’s resignation.
Mr Polanski was beaten by Camden Council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali, who retained the constituency for Labour after the former prime minister stepped down.
Ms Abdi-Wali won 45% of the vote to the Greens’ 33%, giving her a majority of 3,364. The result also delivered a 13% swing to the Greens, whose share of the vote rose by 22.4%.
The contest came in a turbulent week for Mr Polanski, who has faced scrutiny after party members backed a motion declaring Zionism is racism. Even so, he said he had no plans to step aside.
“Of course I can carry on as leader of the Green Party,” he said when asked whether the defeat put his leadership at risk.
“Of course, I wanted to win. No-one runs an election to lose,” he added, saying voters he met on the doorstep responded positively to his proposals on rent controls, action on the climate crisis and bringing Thames Water into public ownership.
“Of course, we didn’t get over the line, but the point here is that ultimately, I want to make sure those were the options that people have.
“So many people told me on the doorstep, so they want to give Andy Burnham a chance. Well, he’s got a chance now. Let’s see what he does with it.”
Zack Polanski denied that he had lost control of the Green Party
Speculation about Mr Polanski’s position had been raised even before votes were counted, with a former Green leader suggesting his authority could be tested if he failed to win.
Caroline Lucas, the party’s first MP and a three-time former Green Party leader, said people should “see what happens in the coming days and weeks” when she was asked about his future the previous evening on BBC Newsnight.
Ms Lucas also criticised Mr Polanski for not taking part in the internal vote on Sunday over the anti-Zionism motion, saying he “should have been there and he should have voted”.
After the by-election result, Mr Polanski did not directly answer when asked whether he believes Zionism is racism, but said: “The displacement of the Palestinian people, the genocide is clearly racist.”
He rejected suggestions the party had slipped beyond his control.
“I don’t think that’s true at all. I’ve got a party that was 55,000, 60,000 members when I was running for leader, it’s now 220,000.
“Any member is entitled to their opinion. We’re a democratic grassroots party.”
The conference vote means the motion is now party policy, despite opposition from Ms Lucas and four of the party’s five MPs, though it does not necessarily mean it will be included in a future manifesto.
Holborn and St Pancras has been a Labour stronghold since it was created in 1983, represented by Frank Dobson for 32 years and Mr Starmer for 11.
In the by-election, Conservative candidate Ewan Cameron finished third, with Reform and the Liberal Democrats behind.
Sagal Abdi-Wali won with 12,292 votes
Ms Abdi-Wali described her win as a statement about the value of diversity in Camden.
“I hope this moment also says something about who gets to belong, for people who look like me, I hope they see themselves reflected in this place and know that their path too belongs here. This is Camden, and this is Britain.”
She continued: “I’ve watched people across Camden work to build communities where difference is not something to fear, but something to value. We cannot allow that work, built over generations, to be casually undone by those who seek to divide us.
“We have a responsibility to defend what we’ve built, and pass it on. Hope is not naïve. Without hope there is nothing to build on, and nothing to build for.
“People need to believe that politics can make their lives better and that their communities can thrive and that tomorrow can be better than today.”
“That is what this victory represents. Winning not by making people afraid of each other, but by bringing people together.”
Turnout was announced as 38.76%, with 27,309 people casting votes yesterday.
That marks a notable fall from the 2024 general election, when turnout in the constituency stood at 54.46%.
The Greens conceded before the official declaration, but said the “huge swing” amounted to an “incredible result”.
A party spokesperson said: “We are disappointed to miss out tonight but any ideas of a return to the cosy two-party system is just wishful thinking on the part of the establishment. We are here to stay and just getting started.
“The voters have delivered a message to the Labour Government today. They want real change; they want rent controls, they want to see an end to the privatised water rip-off; and they want to see justice for Palestinians.
“On the climate crisis, Labour will not have an easy political ride if they bring in new North Sea drilling.”
