Labour won the Holborn and St Pancras byelection with Sagal Abdi-Wali securing 12,292 votes, compared to Zack Polanski of the Green party who received 8,928 votes. The turnout was 38.7%, the lowest for any English byelection in this parliament. Labour's victory is seen as a relief for Prime Minister Andy Burnham and a setback for the Greens, whose policy declaring Zionism as racism added to their internal turmoil.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-10-09,
using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the
same event (that is the story summary below).
Story summary
In the Holborn and St Pancras by-election on Thursday, Sagal Abdi-Wali of Labour faces Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party, in a closely watched contest to replace former Prime Minister Keir Starmer as MP. The election has gained national significance due to recent events: the Green Party’s annual conference passed a controversial motion declaring Zionism to be racism and calling for a single Palestinian state, causing divisions within the party and criticism from political opponents. Abdi-Wali cites this controversy as undermining her opponent's campaign, while Polanski maintains that he will not exclude anyone based on their religious or communal background. The contest is seen as a critical test for both parties' leaderships; Labour has historically dominated the seat since 1983, with Green Party membership surging and gaining over 440 councillors in recent local elections. Prime Minister Andy Burnham urged voters to support Abdi-Wali, emphasizing her potential to restore faith in Labour after its decline among left-wing voters during the Gaza war. Meanwhile, Polanski seeks a historic victory for his party by breaking Labour's long-standing hold on the constituency. The outcome could significantly impact the political landscape ahead of future elections.
Written for “Holborn And St Pancras By Election” on 2026-10-09,
grounded in this article and the 23 other(s) covering the same event.
Labour has won the Holborn and St Pancras byelection in a high-stakes battle for the left of British politics.
asserted
Labour → win → politics
The byelection, called after the former prime minister Keir Starmer resigned the seat in September, was considered a two-horse race between the Labour candidate, Sagal Abdi-Wali, and the Green party leader, Zack Polanski.
asserted
minister → call → candidate
Abdi-Wali recieved 12,292 votes to Polanski’s 8,928.
asserted
Wali → recieve → 8,928
Turnout was 38.7%, the lowest for any byelection held in England during this parliament and 15.4% down from 2024.
asserted
Turnout → hold → 2024
The Greens conceded defeat shortly before the result was announced, with a party spokesperson saying “taking the fight to Labour in one of its safest seats shows just how far the Greens have come.”
asserted
Greens → concede → seats
Labour’s victory will be a relief for Andy Burnham in his first big electoral test as prime minister, and reinforces polling that shows he has recovered some public support lost by Starmer, his predecessor in Downing Street.
asserted
he → reinforce → Street
While Starmer won a 11,572 majority in the constituency for Labour at the 2024 general election, victory in the byelection was not guaranteed.
asserted
victory → win → byelection
Andrew Feinstein, a leftwing independent, came second in 2024, and the Greens peeled off some Camden council seats from Labour in May’s local elections.
uncertain
Greens → come → elections
Abdi-Wali, the leader of Camden council, is a former child refugee who came to the UK from Somalia in the 1990s.
asserted
who → come → 1990s
Reform UK’s home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, was accused by Labour of “straightforward racism” after he said she was being “foisted” on voters in the constituency and suggested she was not British.
uncertain
she → accuse → constituency
The Greens ran a strong ground game, dispatching thousands of members to knock on doors in the constituency, even before Polanski was selected as the party’s candidate.
asserted
Polanski → run → candidate
Polanski’s loss caps a bruising week for his eco-populist party, which fell into turmoil after it voted on Sunday to adopt a policy declaring Zionism as a form of racism.
asserted
it → cap → racism
The motion passed in a vote by Green members at the party conference despite opposition from four of its five MPs.
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motion → pass → MPs
The motion said Zionism – the movement for a Jewish state – should be “treated as any other form of racism” and called for Israel to be replaced by a single Palestinian state.
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Israel → say → state
The head of the Jewish Greens condemned the motion and said she may leave the party, although it was supported by some Jewish Greens.
uncertain
it → condemn → Greens
Even members who supported large parts of the motion were unhappy about its narrow conception of Zionism which some fear could brand those in favour of the idea of a Jewish homeland, but not specifically the modern-day state of Israel, as racist.
uncertain
some → support → Israel
Polanski missed the debate on the motion and did not cast a vote, which left some members frustrated over his lack of leadership on the matter.
asserted
which → miss → matter
Shortly after polls closed, Caroline Lucas refused to say whether Polanski should stand down.
asserted
Polanski → close → ?
Speaking to BBC Newsnight, the former Green leader said: “I want him to show the leadership that was frankly missing on Sunday,” when the motion was voted on.
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motion → speak → Sunday
Polanski was campaigning in the constituency instead.
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Polanski → campaign → constituency
The Greens’ standing in the polls, and Polanski’s personal approval ratings, had already fallen in recent months, after a peak in popularity last summer, exemplified by the Greens’ seismic win in the Gorton and Denton byelection in February.
asserted
standing → fall → February
Midway into the race, George Galloway, running in “self-exile” out of outside the UK, put his name on the ballot in a move that many Green supporters warnedsaid could pull votes away from Polanski.
uncertain
supporters → run → Polanski
He received 314 votes.
asserted
He → receive → votes
The Aporia
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