Evening Standard
· collected 2026-10-07 · by Matt Watts and Nicholas Cecil
Andy Burnham and Green Party candidate Zack Polanski are making last-minute appeals to voters ahead of a by-election in the Labour stronghold constituency of Holborn and St Pancras, following Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation. Polanksi believes the contest is close and hopes to challenge Labour’s long-standing control over the seat. Burnham urges support for Labour candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali, highlighting her commitment to issues such as ending rough sleeping and improving water industry governance.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-07,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
The Holborn and St Pancras by-election in north London aims to replace former Prime Minister Keir Starmer as the MP for the constituency. Labour's candidate is Sagal Abdi-Wali, who is currently favored at odds of 1-33, followed by Green Party leader Zack Polanski on 12-1 and George Galloway with long-shot odds between 100-1 and 200-1. This election could signal the strength of support for Prime Minister Andy Burnham's Labour after their decline following the Gaza war, while also testing Green Party popularity post-local elections in May when they achieved their strongest results ever.
The race is tight as Polanski hopes to break Labour’s long-standing dominance since 1983. Abdi-Wali campaigns on attracting high-paying jobs and affordable housing, whereas Polanski emphasizes tackling climate change and inequality. Burnham recently injected optimism into the party with his platform of radical reforms, though funding specifics remain unclear.
Meanwhile, Polanski's recent exclusion from Israel due to a conference vote defining Zionism as racism may harm his electoral prospects in north London, where sentiment might be less supportive of such stances.
Written for “Holborn By Election Campaigns” on 2026-10-08,
grounded in this article and the 4 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it -0.35, but all 2 of its quote(s) are attributed speech - words the article quotes from someone, not the article's own narration, so the score is not published.
Written under an earlier scoring contract, which gave a paragraph
rather than checkable quotes. Re-analysing this article replaces it.
Leaning score withheld for article 64262: attributed speech only · logged 2026-10-07
Andy Burnham issued a polling day call for voters to back the Labour candidate in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election as her rival Zack Polanski said he believed the contest was “close”.
asserted
contest → issue → election
Ahead of polls opening on Thursday, he said: “the election is looking close today” as he called for “ a Green voice for Camden to push Labour to do better”.
asserted
Camden → open → Labour
While Prime Minister Mr Burnham said “Today, hope can win.
asserted
hope → say → ?
But only if you vote for it” as he urged voters to back Ms Abdi-Wali
asserted
he → vote → Wali
Voters will go to the polls today as candidates fight to replace Sir Keir Starmer as the MP for Holborn and St Pancras.
asserted
candidates → go → Holborn
The North London constituency has been a Labour stronghold since its formation in 1983, held by Frank Dobson for 32 years and Sir Keir for 11.
Mr Polanksi hoping to break Labour’s clean sheet and secure his own seat in the House of Commons.
asserted
Polanksi → hold → Commons
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.
uncertain
which → see → councils
Mr Polanski, who abstained on the vote, later said that he will “not accept any exclusion, or refusal to engage with anyone, because of the religious or communal body they are part of”.
asserted
they → abstain → body
Ahead of polls opening on Thursday, the Green Party leader said: “The election is looking close today.
asserted
election → open → Thursday
We already have a Labour government, a Labour council and a Labour mayor.
asserted
We → have → government
“Isn’t it time for a Green voice for Camden to push Labour to do better on issues like rent controls and to put Thames Water into public ownership – issues where they’ve been backtracking?
asserted
they → push → issues
“On the climate crisis, today is the day to say clearly to Labour, ‘no new drilling in the North Sea’ – a decision they chose to delay until after the by-election result.
asserted
they → say → result
That makes your vote powerful.
asserted
vote → make → ?
“A vote for the Greens today can show Labour the right direction.
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vote → show → direction
Make it happen today.”
asserted
it → make → ?
Mr Burnham said: “Today, hope can win.
asserted
hope → say → ?
But only if you vote for it.
asserted
you → vote → it
I have no doubt that Sagal Abdi-Wali will make a brilliant local MP for Holborn and St Pancras.
asserted
Wali → have → Holborn
“This area gave Sagal a home when she arrived here as a refugee in the 1990s.
asserted
she → give → 1990s
Camden gave Sagal and her family hope.
asserted
Camden → give → hope
Now she wants to give that back to the communities that have always been there for her.
asserted
that → want → her
“It’s hard to think of someone more committed to their local area and the care of people than Sagal.
asserted
It → ’ → Sagal
“Sagal has a plan to take on vested interests in our water industry, to work with me to help end rough sleeping, and to make sure every young person has the opportunities they deserve to get on in life.
asserted
they → have → life
“Sagal is bursting with energy and positivity.
asserted
Sagal → burst → energy
She’s given so much to Camden already, and I know she has so much more to give.
asserted
she → give → more
For Camden, for hope, vote for Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali today.”
Also running is George Galloway of the Workers Party of Britain, despite living overseas in what he describes as “self-exile”.
asserted
he → vote → exile
Sir Keir won the Holborn and St Pancras seat in 2024 with 48.9% of the vote (18,884 votes), with independent Andrew Feinstein as runner up on 18.9% (7,312 votes) and the Greens in third with 10.4% of the vote (4,030 votes).
asserted
Keir → win → vote
The Aporia
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