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The London Assembly member has fired the starting gun on the by-election
Zack Polanski has confirmed he will stand as the Green Party's candidate for the by-election in Holborn and St Pancras.
The London Assembly member, who celebrated the one year anniversary of his election to lead the party this week, said he was "ready to fight" for the seat left vacant following the resignation of Sir Keir Starmer.
Mr Polanski told the Camden New Journal: "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 make London so special. I am so excited by the prospect of representing this place in Parliament."
Under the party's internal rules, Mr Polanski must still be officially selected by local Green members.
However, this is unlikely to be a hurdle as Lorna Jane Russell, the leader of the Greens on Camden Council, confirmed she will not stand, leaving no obvious local party candidate in the running.
Mr Polanski said: "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. Too often Labour has stood up for corporations and big money. I will stand up for people struggling to pay their bills."
At the 2024 General Election, pro-Gaza independent Andrew Feinsten came second in the north London constituency with 7,312 votes, cutting Sir Keir's majority lead by over 16,000 votes.
Earlier this week, Mr Feinsten said "progressive forces" should "unite in order to deliver an MP who represents us and will work for us.
"An MP who is the antithesis of everything that Starmer stands for."
Should he be successful, Mr Polanski would become the sixth Green Party MP.
Over the last year, the Green Party has seen a massive rise in support since Mr Polanski was elected the party's leader.
Under Mr Polanski, the party membership has tripled from 68,500 to over 230,000, with the Greens winning their first ever parliamentary by-election in Gorton and Denton.
The party has also won a record 587 council seats, a majority control of five additional councils and won two directly elected mayors in Hackney and Lewisham.
However, Mr Polanski has come under fire over the last year, including sharing an "inaccurate" post on social media criticising the response to the Golders Green terror attack and falsely claiming to be a spokesman for the British Red Cross.
While the Greens saw gains in the Camden Borough where the St Pancras and Holborn seat is based, Labour still maintain a majority control of the north London council.
Mr Polanski, who is also a member of the London Assembly, said: “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."
