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UK Green leader confirmed as candidate for parliament seat vacated by Starmer

By Thomson Reuters Sep 11, 2026 | 5:12 AM

LONDON, Sept 11 (Reuters) – The leader of Britain’s left-wing Green Party Zack Polanski was on ​Friday confirmed as the party’s ‌candidate for a seat in parliament vacated by former Labour prime minister Keir Starmer.

Polanski will be the Green candidate ‌for ​Holborn and St ⁠Pancras, a left-leaning constituency ⁠which Starmer held comfortably in 2024 though with a much-reduced vote share, in a by-election due ​to take place on October 8.

In the election two years ⁠ago, an independent ⁠candidate who campaigned primarily on ​opposition to Israel’s war in Gaza ​took nearly 19% of the vote ‌in that constituency, though that candidate has ruled himself out this time round. The Green Party ⁠candidate received over 10% in 2024.

Polanski told Green Party supporters on Friday: “Greens might ⁠be the ‌underdog in this election, ⁠but we have the ​momentum ‌and we can win.”

Earlier this ​week ⁠the Labour Party selected the leader of the local council, Sagal Abdi-Wali, as their candidate for the by-election.

(Reporting by Sam Tobin; editing by ​William James)