Greens leader Zack Polanski will be the party’s candidate in Holborn and St Pancras. Zack Polanski will be the Green Party’s candidate in next month’s crucial Holborn and St Pancras by-election. The party confirmed on Friday morning that he will go up against Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali to succeed Keir Starmer as the constituency’s MP. The former prime minister stunned Westminster by announcing he was quitting parliament earlier this month. Polanski beat off the challenge of local Green councillor Hamza Chowdhury for the party’s nomination. Starmer retained the seat for Labour with a majority of 11,572 votes at the 2024 general election. But the Greens have seen a surge in support since Polanski was elected the party’s leader a year ago. The by-election is seen as a straight fight between Labour, who have held the seat ever since it was created in 1983, and the Greens. A victory for Abdi-Wali would be further proof that Labour is winning back voters who had switched to the Greens now that Starmer has been replaced as leader by Andy Burnham. It would also be a huge blow to the Greens, and the political ambitions of Polanski. But a victory for Polanski would give the Greens their first London MP and be a massive boost for the party as it fights Labour for the support of progressive voters across the country. Listen to Commons People, the podcast that makes politics easy. Every week, Kevin Schofield and Kate Nicholson unpack the week’s biggest stories to keep you informed. Join us for straightforward analysis of what’s going on at Westminster. Related... Can Zack Polanski 'Regain His Mojo' In A Crunch London By-Election? Zack Polanski Confirms He Wants To Run For Keir Starmer's Old Seat Zack Polanski Drops Heaviest Hint Yet That He Will Stand In Crunch By-Election