Zack Polanski seeks Keir Starmer's former UK seat

Zack Polanski, leader of Britain's Green Party, announced on September 3 that he intends to seek the party's candidacy for the Holborn and St Pancras parliamentary by-election in London.

The seat was vacated by former prime minister Keir Starmer, who announced on Tuesday that he would leave parliament after 11 years as an MP.

Polanski, 43, told the Camden New Journal he was excited by the prospect of representing the constituency in parliament. His candidacy still needs approval from the Greens' local branch.

The by-election is expected to be an early test of Labour Prime Minister Andy Burnham's popularity and of whether the Greens can keep attracting voters from Labour.

Labour has held Holborn and St Pancras continuously since the constituency was created in 1983. At the 2024 general election, Starmer won almost 49 percent of the vote, while the Greens finished third with 10.4 percent.

The date of the by-election has not yet been fixed.