The Green Party has encouraged its members to abandon their Autumn conference to instead support their leader’s bid for Holborn and St Pancras.
Zack Polanski announced his candidacy ten days after former prime minister Keir Starmer vacated the north London seat on 1 September.
If successful, he will become the Greens’ sixth MP.
Seeking to bolster Polanski’s chances, an official email to party members late on Tuesday encouraged them to “cancel their plans” for conference and make themselves available for the final week of campaigning in the constituency.
It reads: “Winning in Holborn & St Pancras will UNLOCK our future election goals.
“Now is the time to go all in.”
In 2024, Labour won the seat with 48.9% of the vote and a majority of 11,572.
As things stand, current Camden Council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali is expected to retain the seat for Labour.
Despite Polanski reportedly requesting that conference be delayed so that more resources could be put into the contest, their conference is still expected to take place in Brighton from 2 to 4 October.
The by-election is on 8 October, the following week.
Conferences allow for politicians, affiliated groups, and party members to meet up and discuss their party’s recent performance and trajectory.
It is a particularly important event for the Green Party, as it is an opportunity to debate policies which, if accepted at a final vote of all present members, then become part of the party’s national manifesto.
The email notes that members can either swap their tickets for an online one – retaining full voting rights – or cancel entirely and receive a refund.
A Green Party Spokesperson said:
“Many of our members are torn between wanting to be at conference and wanting to contribute to getting our next Green MP elected in Holborn and St Pancras. This is a suggestion of how they can do that.
“Unlike Labour, we cannot put down a three-line whip to Cabinet ministers to go and campaign in London, we’re a people-powered movement. Every day, our members and supporters are giving up their time to knock on doors and talk to voters because they know we can win.
“Meanwhile our conference plans are in full swing – it will still be the most democratic of all the political parties and the most well-attended we have ever held.”
Polanski’s decision to stand has made Holborn and St Pancras the third by-election of 2026 to involve the leader of a national party – following Andy Burnham’s win in Makerfield and Nigel Farage’s defence of Clacton.
Nominations closed on Tuesday 15 September at 4pm.
Featured image credit: James Bowe via Wikimedia Commons
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