The race for the Holborn and St Pancras MP seat is heating up as the parties choose their candidates for the coveted London parliamentary seat vacated by Sir Keir Starmer.
But on September 1, just two months after Andy Burnham suspended him as No 10, he announced he was stepping down.
The by-election is due on October 8 and the contest will be a crucial test in London of Andy Burnham’s bid to revive Labour’s fortunes in the capital.
The Green Party is hoping it can continue its gains in the capital after May’s local elections and has nominated Zac Polanski to contest the seat, which has been held by Labor since the constituency was created in 1983.
The by-election is expected to be a straight shootout between Labor and the Greens.
Here are the candidates that have been announced so far.
Who are the candidates in the Holborn and St Pancras by-elections?
Sagal Abdi-Wali is considered Labor’s favorite in the Holborn and St Pancras by-elections
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She nominated more than 100 candidates for the post and became Labor Party leader at a selection meeting earlier this week.
Commander Abdi-Wali first came to the UK as a child refugee in the early 1990s after fleeing civil war in Somalia. She has lived in Camden since then.
She was elected as a Labor councilor for the Camden Square ward in 2022 after serving as a cabinet member for Home Improvement, a role in which she managed housing and development for the area.
Commander Abdi-Wali is also credited with helping Camden achieve Sanctuary District status in 2024.
Outside of politics, Commander Abdi-Wali is a volunteer and trustee of local charities. She is also the headteacher of two local schools, according to the Labor Party.
Her views are largely shaped by her background as a Somali refugee and she has prioritized issues of housing and homelessness in her work with Camden Council. She has also been open about her pro-European views.
After being elected as the Labor Party candidate, she said: “This place welcomed my family as refugees and gave us hope when we needed it most. I am so grateful that I have had the opportunity to build a life here, serving our community as a councillor, headteacher and community activist.”
Colonel Abdi-Wali’s victory will see her step down as leader of the north London council and take over Sir Keir’s former seat.
Cllr Abdi-Wali has already launched her campaign and was spotted in the area with Prime Minister Andy Burnham on Thursday.
Green Party leader Zac Polanski will contest by-elections in Holborn and St Pancras (Jonathan Brady/PA)
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Green Party leader Zac Polanski has been chosen as the party’s candidate for the Holborn and St Pancras by-elections.
Mr Polanski beat Camden councilor Hamza Chowdhury to win the nomination.
Speaking about his victory, Polanski admitted that the Greens “may be the losers of this election” but he believes the party has the “momentum” to win.
Polanski’s political career began in 2015 when he stood as the Liberal Democrat candidate in the 2015 St Pancras and Somers Town by-election.
He later joined the Green Party in 2017 and eventually became deputy leader in 2022 after being elected as a member of the London Assembly in 2021.
Polanski has been credited with the rise in popularity of the Green Party in recent months. During his tenure, the party made significant strides and achieved its best ever performance in the 2026 local elections. Hannah Spencer was elected in Gorton and Denton by-elections ahead of Labor and Reform UK, and Zoe Garbett was elected mayor of Hackney in May.
The Green Party leader moved to the capital in the mid-2000s, having grown up in Manchester.
He was a strong proponent of wealth redistribution, supporting a wealth tax on the country’s super-rich. Housing and rent controls and a universal basic income have also become key pillars of his policies.
Polanski’s manifesto as leader of the Green Party included opposition to fossil fuel projects and North Sea drilling.
Reform Britain, the Tories and the Lib Dems have yet to announce their candidates for the by-election.
