Polls close in Holborn and St Pancras byelection as Labour hopes to retain seat
Summary
The byelection in Holborn and St Pancras closed as Labour aims to keep the seat once held by Keir Starmer. The vote tests if Labour, led by Prime Minister Andy Burnham, can hold support or if the Green party, led by Zack Polanski, can win over progressive voters.Key Facts
- Labour wants to keep the north London seat vacated by Keir Starmer, who won it by over 11,000 votes in 2024.
- The byelection is the first major test for Prime Minister Andy Burnham since he started in July.
- Zack Polanski, Green party leader, campaigned actively, hoping to attract younger and progressive voters unhappy with Labour.
- Recent polling shows Labour ahead of the Greens by 16 points in the area.
- Holborn and St Pancras has many young people, students, renters, and nearly half the residents were born overseas.
- Polanski says if he wins, he will push for stronger rent controls, better climate actions, and more public ownership.
- Labour’s candidate, Sagal Abdi-Wali, is the leader of Camden council and has a background as a refugee from Somalia.
- The Green party faces internal debates, including a controversial policy equating Zionism with racism, which Polanski did not support.
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