Zack Polanski has been selected as the Green Party candidate in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.
The by-election was called after former prime minister Keir Starmer resigned from the seat on 1 September. Voting will take place on 8 October. Polanski was chosen following a ballot of members at an online selection meeting for the Camden Greens on Thursday evening (10 September) and won with 84 per cent of the vote. The result was announced at an event in King’s Cross this morning.
Polanski’s selection was announced by Gorton and Denton MP, Hannah Spencer, who said he had been chosen with the “overwhelming support” of local members. In his acceptance speech Polanski said: “Holborn and St Pancras, I am here to fight for you.” He added: “Greens might be the underdog in this election but we have the momentum and we can win.”
In the Green Party, election candidates are chosen democratically by the local party. Polanski announced on 3 September that he intended to throw his hat into the ring and has already been out campaigning in the constituency. In a statement Polanski said: “I have lived and worked in this community over many years, I know it well and I love it. It represents so many of the things that make London so special. I am so excited by the prospect of representing this place in parliament.” Leaflets bearing a letter from him and his image have already been posted through letterboxes in the constituency.
On 7 September, Hamza Chowdhury – a local councillor – also announced he would be running for selection. In a statement he said: “We don’t need another MP who arrives during an election campaign, puts out a few leaflets, makes a few promises and disappears once the votes are counted no matter how famous they are!” Chowdhury was nominated by six of the party’s 11 Camden councillors, although the NS understands that at least one of them did so to widen the ballot, rather than in explicit support of him.
Labour selected its candidate, Camden Council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali, at a selection meeting at St Pancras Church on Wednesday evening. The party will launch its campaign on Saturday with a “Make Hope Win” weekend.
Speaking to the New Statesman following his selection, Polanski said he is “incredibly confident” about winning the by-election but “not complacent”. Privately, there is some acceptance within the Green Party that winning a London by-election would be easier in a seat such as Hackney North and Stoke Newington or Walthamstow. In May, the Greens won control of both Hackney and Waltham Forest councils. In Camden, the party increased its number of councillors but is in opposition.
Polanski did not seem fazed by this. “Over the last week, I’ve been door knocking in every single ward in the constituency,” he said. “I’m hearing the same thing over and over again that people are really excited to vote Green.” The Green campaign plans to encourage left-wing voters to back Polanski in order to push Labour to the left.
Unlike the attack posture the party assumed under Keir Starmer’s leadership, the Greens are taking a constructive approach to Burnham. “There’s certainly a big block of voters. And then there’s an even bigger block right now who want to vote Green, but also want to give Andy Burnham a chance,” Polanski said, “I think the message is undeniable that you can vote Green and give Andy Burnham a chance.” He added: “Just another Labour MP is just going to add to his already huge majority.”
The Labour Party has also shifted its messaging. Tomorrow the party will kick of a “Make Hope Win” weekend to launch its campaign. Their slogan is reminiscent of the Greens’ former campaign to “Make Hope Normal Again”. When asked about the similarity between the two messages, Polanski said: “imitation is the sincerest form of flattery”.
The Greens plan to focus on Labour’s record on the climate during the campaign, and particularly, Burnham’s perceived reluctance to talk about it. On the day of Polanski’s selection, the Prime Minister delayed the decision on whether to allow drilling at the Jackdaw gas field in the north sea until after the by-election, a move which Polanski described as “running scared”. He told the NS: “There are some real gaps that people care about in this constituency. Most noticeably around oil and gas – people are talking about the climate crisis a lot. They are very worried about Jackdaw approval.”
Housing will also be a key pillar of the Greens by-election campaign. In his acceptance speech, Polanski spoke of the high rents faced by many of the constituency’s residents and reiterated his party’s calls for rent controls. At the party’s annual conference last year, it adopted a policy to “abolish landlords”.
In the past week, however, the Greens have come under the spotlight on this issue after it was revealed by the Sunday Times that the party’s co-Deputy Leader – Mothin Ali – is the owner of two by-to-let rental properties. Later in the week, Sky News also reported that the husband of Rachel Millward – the party’s other co-Deputy Leader – owns a flat which he currently rents out below market rate.
When asked about these stories, Polanski said: “I am proud of both my deputies who have voted for rent controls, who have voted for social housing, who have voted to shrink the size of the private rental market.” He added that both Ali and Millward have individual personal circumstances but said: “What I see are two individuals who despite their personal circumstances want to see better conditions for renters. I think that’s what’s important.”
[Further reading: Holborn and St Pancras is Labour’s to lose]
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Subscribe here to comment“I am proud of both my deputies … who have voted to shrink the size of the private rental market.” – how is that a record to be proud of.