Mr Polanski confirmed he intended to stand in the Holborn & St Pancras by-election on Thursday, and claimed the race was a chance to ‘make history’ by electing London’s first Green MP.
The Green Party leader Zack Polanski is finally set to stand for parliament after announcing a bid for Keir Starmer’s old seat.
Mr Polanski confirmed he intended to run in the Holborn & St Pancras by-election on Thursday, and claimed the race was a chance to “make history” by electing London’s first Green MP.
The contest could represent a headache for the new PM Andy Burnham, who helped Labour defeat the Greens in both the Makerfield by-election and the Greater Manchester Mayoralty contest.
Confirming his bid in the Camden New Journal, Mr 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 makes London so special. I am so excited by the prospect of representing this place in Parliament.”
He added: “Holborn and St Pancras has everything that’s the best of our country and so much potential – but for too long now it’s been held back by Governments who have failed to make the changes to improve people’s lives.
“We know that the Greens can win here, and by electing me, voters will have someone who will always fight their corner – never scared of big donors or the party whip.
“This by-election is a chance for this community to make history – electing London’s first Green MP – and it’s a clear fight between Labour and the Green Party. We know that people are struggling – that the things we used to afford are increasingly out of reach – and this is a chance to send a very clear message that we won’t sit by as we get poorer and extreme wealth is concentrated at the very top.
“What voters in Holborn and St Pancras will get with me as their MP is someone totally dedicated to standing up for them. Put simply I will use my place in Parliament to force the current Labour Government into making life more affordable for the people who live here.”
Mr Polanski had hinted at plans to stand in the contest earlier this week, and campaigned alongside Green MP Hannah Spencer in the area on Tuesday.
It is understood local party members will have the final say on the Green’s selected candidate, with nominations opening soon and a candidate selected by the end of next week. Applications to stand for Labour opened on Tuesday and close on Friday, with the candidate to be picked by September 9.
In a statement posted to X, the former PM had said it was an “honour” to represent the said: “It’s been an honour and privilege to represent the best constituency in the country since taking over from the great Frank Dobson 11 years ago.
“But it is now time to step aside and focus on other issues: international affairs including defence, security, trade and technology in a fast-changing world. I will also continue working with others as I have done over many decades to tackle violence against women and girls. As I do that, I will always remain immensely proud to have represented the place Vic, the kids and I call home.”
Labour has held the inner London seat since it was created in 1983, winning at least 40% of the vote at every election. Only two Labour MPs have ever represented Holborn & St Pancras: former health secretary Frank Dobson, from 1983 to 2015, then Mr Starmer.
At the most recent general election in 2024, Mr Starmer held the seat with 48.9% of the vote, ahead of independent candidate Andrew Feinstein in second place on 18.9% and the Greens in third place on 10.4%.
At the local elections in May, the Greens won 11 council seats in the area, seven of which were in the part of the borough covered by the constituency of Holborn & St Pancras.