Zack Polanski vowed to force Andy Burnham to take Britain even further to the Left today as he was selected to challenge Labour for Sir Keir Starmer’s former seat in Parliament. The Mail has the story.
The populist Green leader was unveiled as his party’s candidate for the October 8th Holborn and St Pancras by-election this morning after local members overwhelmingly chose him.
He was picked ahead of Camden councillor Hamza Chowdhury, who ran against him with a blast at “famous” candidates being parachuted in to fight for seats and then disappearing.
Polanski, who has said he will commute to Holborn from his home in trendy east London if he wins, will take on Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali in a vote triggered by former Prime Minister Sir Keir’s departure from Parliament.
The seat has been held by Labour since it was created in 1983, but the Greens are confident they have a real chance of taking it.
Coming on stage after a speech by Green MP Hannah Spencer, Polanski admitted he was “starting my speech feeling a bit teary”, but went on to say: “We have the momentum and we can win.”
He vowed that if he won he would work with the new PM to bring forward even more Left-wing policies.
“We know that if there’s just another Labour MP that adds to Andy Burnham’s majority, he will see that as evidence that he’s completely on the right track and tinkering around the edges is what people are calling for,” he said.
“You can give Andy Burnham a chance and vote Green in this election, because ultimately by sending a Green MP to Parliament who will work with him constructively to challenge him on the gaps in his plans, to push him in the direction, and to keep the pressure on in the way that we already have done, we will have a better government, we’ll have a better country, and for the people of Holborn and St Pancras, it follows that they will have a better life.”
He also shared his solidarity with Abdi-Wali, a former child refugee born in Somalia, after “despicable” criticism of her background by Reform’s Zia Yusuf on X.
“Every single day during this election, I will stand with any candidate who is facing abusive attacks and at the same time put forward Green Party policies that are going to make life easier for everyone in this country and in this constituency,” he told reporters.
Spencer said local party members “overwhelmingly” chose London Assembly member Polanski over Chowdhury for the nomination.
The by-election will provide an early test of Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s popularity with the public.
Worth reading in full.
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Excellent!
Recruiting sergeant for Reform UK.
Just had a look and it appears that only half the people that live in the Holborn and St Pancras area were born in the UK. So there I was thinking it’s likely to be low turnout for the upcoming election. Oh, how silly was I?
With a little additional searching it appears that you can vote in our parliamentary elections if you come from any of the following, as long as you’re registered as living here:
Antigua and Barbuda, Australia, Bangladesh, Barbados, Belize, Botswana, Brunei, Darussalam, Cameroon, Canada, Cyprus, Dominica, Fiji Islands, Gabon, Ghana, Grenada, Guyana, India, Jamaica, Kenya, Kingdom of Eswatini, Kiribati, Lesotho, Malawi, Malaysia, Maldives, Malta, Mauritius, Mozambique, Namibia, Nauru, New Zealand, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Rwanda, Samoa, Seychelles, Sierra Leone, Singapore, Solomon Islands, South Africa, Sri Lanka, St Kitts & Nevis, St Lucia, St Vincent & The Grenadines, The Bahamas, The Gambia, Togo, Tonga, Trinidad and Tobago, Tuvalu, Uganda, United Republic of Tanzania, Vanuatu, Zambia, Zimbabwe.
Plus pretty much all EU nationals.
Can someone please tell me I’ve got this wrong…’cos if I haven’t, it’s not surprising we don’t get what we want.
Sadly you’re correct, any Commonwealth citizen registered as living in the UK can vote.
If only half the population were born in the UK how many will have 8 great grand parents who were born in the UK? Probably a lot less than 15% meaning there’s a foreign country in the heart of the Capital.
Which helps explain why there’s so many foreigners in politics dextroying our country.
If he loses he’s going to feel a right tit.
That’s very witty
Should the “w” be a “t”?
That’s biased, he used to amplify both sides.
Thought he was a lefty?
Wow, the joke parliament of the UK! immigrant nobody’s and insane green nut jobs!? Wtf has happened?
In the country that created democracy!?
Just surprised it is not two immigrant nobody’s but I guess The Vagrant fancies the MP salary and pension.
Interesting that the Mail describes David Stephen Paulden as a “populist”. I think they mean that he has views they disapprove of.