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Green Leader Zack Polanski Selected to Contest Starmer's Former Seat in Holborn and St Pancras By-Election
The Greens expect Polanski to win the nomination as Labour faces a contest shaped by recent Green gains and protest votes in the seat.
London Assembly member Zack Polanski will contest the Holborn and Pancras by-election on October 8, seeking to become an MP after Camden Green Party members selected him as their candidate.
The seat became vacant after former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer announced his departure from Parliament earlier this month, saying it was the "right time" to focus on international affairs.
Labour has held Holborn and Pancras since its creation in 1983, with only former health secretary Frank Dobson and Sir Keir serving as MPs in that period.
Camden Council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali is Labour's candidate, while recent polls suggested the Greens could challenge for the previously safe seat.
The by-election serves as an early test of Prime Minister Andy Burnham's popularity, as his party's national polling has dipped since replacing Sir Keir in Downing Street.