Pro-Palestine Greens challenge Labour’s grip on Starmer’s former seat

What the report says

Al Jazeera reports that the Green Party is trying to unseat Labour in Holborn and St Pancras, the London constituency formerly held by Keir Starmer, in a by-election framed in part by debate over Gaza and local housing pressures. Green leader Zack Polanski is among 15 candidates and is campaigning on a strongly pro-Palestine platform, while Labour’s candidate is Sagal Abdi-Wali, a Somali-Muslim woman and Camden council leader.

At a community meeting organized by the Camden Muslim Network, Green and Liberal Democrat candidates attended, while Labour and Conservative candidates did not. The discussion covered housing, Palestine, and wider questions about Labour’s response to Israel’s war on Gaza. Polanski criticized Labour’s position on Israel and arms sales, while the Liberal Democrat candidate said his party supports Palestinian statehood but not a full boycott.

The article says the Green campaign has targeted Labour over Palestine, including leaflets accusing Labour councillors of refusing to back a solidarity pledge or pension divestment. Abdi-Wali has previously rejected claims that Labour in Camden was indifferent to the issue, according to Al Jazeera’s reporting. Local activists supporting Palestinian solidarity have also pressed the council on pension fund divestment.

The broader context is that Labour has held the seat since it was created in 1983, and Starmer won it in the 2024 general election with 49 percent of the vote. Al Jazeera notes polling and betting markets still point to a Labour win, but the race is being watched closely because of its symbolic value and the combination of national and local issues.