Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, faces significant criticism following his party's conference vote declaring Zionism as a form of racism. Despite the Green Party achieving its second-best result in a Westminster by-election, with Sagal Abdi-Wali becoming the new MP for Holborn and St Pancras, Polanski is under intense pressure due to his stance on the controversial motion. Critics within the party argue that recent membership growth has been driven by hard-left campaigners focused more on Middle East issues than environmental concerns, leading to calls for Polanski to address or retract the contentious resolution.
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
The Holborn and St Pancras by-election took place on October 7 to replace former Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who resigned from his seat as MP. The contest primarily pits Labour candidate Fatima Abdi-Wali against Green Party leader Zack Polanski in a North London constituency that has been traditionally held by the Labour Party since its formation in 1983.
Labour's Andy Burnham issued a last-minute appeal to voters, emphasizing that "hope can win," while Polanski claimed the race was "close." The election is seen as a critical test for both parties: if Labour wins, it will solidify their stronghold; if the Greens succeed, it could signal a shift in voter sentiment.
Polanski’s campaign has faced challenges recently due to a controversial motion passed at his party's conference asserting that “Zionism is racism,” which led to Israel banning him from entering. Despite this, Polanski insists he will not "accept any exclusion" based on religious affiliations and argues for issues like rent control and public ownership of utilities.
Polls show Abdi-Wali as the frontrunner, with Labour traditionally holding a strong voter base in the area. However, the Green Party’s recent surge in local elections suggests that Polanski's candidacy could be competitive. The election outcome will provide early indicators for Prime Minister Burnham's ability to restore faith in Labour among left-wing voters who have increasingly turned towards the Greens over issues like climate change and Israel policy.
Written for “Holborn By-election Campaigns” on 2026-10-09,
grounded in this article and the 35 other(s) covering the same event.
Why this leaning score
The model judged this article politically coded and scored it +0.35, but every quote it verified points left, 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 67636: score contradicts its own evidence · logged 2026-10-09
Make no mistake, the new MP for Holborn and St Pancras in north London, Sagal Abdi-Wali, has quite the story to tell.
asserted
MP → make → story
She arrived in the UK as a child refugee from Somalia in the 1990s, grew up locally in Camden, became a councillor four years ago, the council leader in May and is now Sir Keir Starmer's successor as the MP.
uncertain
She → arrive → MP
But in the offices of Camden Council at three o'clock this morning, the focus of the press pack, me included, was on Zack Polanski, the leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, as we waited for the result.
asserted
we → include → result
So a Labour victory here falls in the column marked "relief" for Downing Street rather than "jubilation".
asserted
victory → fall → jubilation
Nonetheless, the Greens did very well in local elections in London in May, riding the crest of a political wave which began shortly after Polanski became the party's leader just over a year ago.
uncertain
Polanski → do → leader
His failure to win here would have prompted questions from some about stalling momentum, but the party can and does point to the big swing to them since the general election and a result that was by a long way the second best ever result for them at a Westminster by-election.
Incidentally, in finishing third the Conservatives have beaten Reform UK for the first time in an English by-election since the general election.
asserted
Conservatives → win → election
It seems likely that Reform's result was hampered by Restore Britain, who managed almost half as many votes as Reform did, in a constituency not very favourable to either party.
asserted
Reform → seem → party
But the real reason for the nocturnal scramble of cameras, microphones and questions for Polanski had little to do with the by election – and everything to do with a vote at the Green Party's conference in Brighton last weekend.
asserted
reason → have → Brighton
Activists there passed a motion declaring Zionism as a form of racism.
asserted
Activists → pass → racism
The motion defined Zionism as an ideology supporting "an ethnonationalist Jewish state" and backed a "single democratic Palestinian state in all of historic Palestine", which includes modern-day Israel.
asserted
which → define → Israel
Polanski didn't take part in the vote because, he said, he chose to campaign in Holborn and St Pancras instead.
asserted
he → take → Holborn
And – until today at least – he has been repeatedly declining to do interviews, as the pressure on him as ratcheted up.
asserted
pressure → decline → him
"He has created a monster he either can't or won't control," was how one Green figure put it to me - this person one among many left furious at what has happened.
asserted
what → create → many
Party membership has increased more than three fold in the last year and internal critics of Polanski say this includes hard-left campaigners focused on the Middle East rather than environmental concerns.
asserted
this → increase → concerns
Within the party and beyond it, a row is now boiling.
asserted
row → boil → it
Polanski, who is himself Jewish, has been banned from Israel.
asserted
who → ban → Israel
The Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies of British Jews have criticised the party, as have sister Green parties in Europe.
asserted
parties → criticise → Europe
And – significantly – the former party leader and one of the most important figures in the Green movement of her generation, Caroline Lucas, told BBC Newsnight Polanski had failed to show leadership over the issue.
asserted
Polanski → tell → issue
She also failed to back him carrying on as leader.
asserted
She → fail → leader
Asked by reporters after the by-election result if he could continue as leader, Polanski insisted "of course I can carry on".
uncertain
I → ask → course
He did not explicitly reject the motion his party has passed, saying there was an "ongoing genocide and the displacement of the Palestinian people".
asserted
party → reject → people
"I believe that is clearly racist," he added.
asserted
he → believe → ?
Israel has repeatedly denied its actions in Gaza amount to genocide.
asserted
actions → deny → genocide
And asked if he believed in a two-state solution – an Israeli and Palestinian state existing peacefully alongside each other – he said "I believe it is not our role to decide".
asserted
it → ask → other
He repeated that "it is my job to reassure people and make sure that we bring our party together".
asserted
bring → repeat → party
"No one will be excluded in the Green Party based on faith and religion," he said.
asserted
he → exclude → faith
But Polanski now confronts the greatest crisis of his leadership so far.
asserted
Polanski → confront → leadership
He faces open, public insurrection about his judgement from senior figures internally and opprobrium from plenty of others beyond the party.
asserted
He → face → party
The Aporia
