Holborn and St Pancras by-election - live: Polanski’s Greens beaten by Labour in Starmer’s old seat

Voters are today casting their ballots in the race to elect a new MP in Keir Starmer's old seat.

Labour 's candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali, a former child refugee from Somalia, is battling it out with Green Leader Zack Polanski in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election in London. Polls will close at 10pm on Thursday, with ballots to be counted overnight.

It could be a defining moment for Mr Polanski’s leadership of the party, which has seen a surge in membership and record-breaking results in the May 2026 local elections, gaining more than 440 councillors and gaining control of five councils.

Ahead of polls opening on Thursday, he admitted the by-election race is “looking close”. Labour sources are understood to be confident, but not complacent, with insiders aware that Mr Polanski's profile could sway the race.

An environmental row has broken out at the count, with Ed Gemmell, leader of the Climate Party, approaching journalists to attack Zack Polanski for not being Green enough.

Offering all the hacks who would listen a statement, he said: "He has rowed back on the Greens' tradition of being extremely environmental over this last period.

"We want to make a statement, and that is that if you are like that, we will keep standing wherever you're standing and take the vital votes away that you need to win.