Green Party leader Zack Polanski has indicated that he would not relocate to the Holborn and St Pancras constituency if he wins a forthcoming by-election, opting instead to commute from his East London home.
Polanski is seeking to be the Green Party's candidate for the North London seat, which became vacant following Sir Keir Starmer's resignation as an MP. Starmer had held the seat since 2015. The by-election is anticipated to take place next month.
"I can cycle to the constituency really quickly," Polanski told The Guardian. "In fact, the length of the constituency is just as fast for me to cycle. I'd regularly be here, doing surgeries and representing people."
His statement has prompted internal questions regarding his commitment to the constituency. Local councillor Hamza Choudhury, who is also vying for the Green Party candidacy, criticized politicians who are perceived as temporary or absent. "We don't need another MP who arrives during an election campaign, puts out a few leaflets, makes a few promises and disappears once the votes are counted no matter how famous they are," Choudhury wrote on Instagram. "We need an MP who is present, accessible and visibly part of the community all year round."
Polanski has not yet been formally selected by local Green Party members. Reports suggest divisions within the party regarding whether to nominate a candidate with an explicitly pro-Gaza stance.
Historically, the Holborn and St Pancras seat, created in 1983, has been represented by the Labour Party. Frank Dobson served as the MP from 1983 to 2015, succeeded by Keir Starmer. In the 2024 general election, Starmer secured 48.9 percent of the vote. Independent candidate Andrew Feinstein received 18.9 percent, and the Green Party garnered 10.4 percent.
Feinstein, who ran on a pro-Palestinian platform, has stated he will not contest the by-election, potentially benefiting the Green Party's prospects.