Labour Wins Holborn and St Pancras By-election, Greens Debate Campaign Strategy

Labour candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali won the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, securing 45 per cent of the vote. The Green Party's Zack Polanski came second with 33 per cent of the vote. Despite not winning the seat, the Green Party highlighted a 22-point increase in their vote share compared to the last general election.

Internal Criticism of Campaign Strategy

Following the by-election result, some Green Party councillors and activists voiced dissatisfaction with the campaign's approach. One Green councillor described the strategy as too "Whitehall-coded," suggesting it did not effectively connect with local issues or harness grassroots energy. Concerns were raised that the campaign focused too heavily on Zack Polanski rather than holding Labour to account for their record in Camden. Some activists felt the party missed an opportunity to be more aggressive on issues such as Gaza and housing, and that a more localised approach could have yielded an additional 2,000 votes.

This internal debate emerged as many Green supporters had viewed victory in the Labour-held seat as improbable. Camden Green Councillor Hamza Chowdhury, who had challenged Polanski for the nomination, stated that regardless of the outcome, the leader would be vindicated due to the seat's Labour stronghold status. However, other members expressed frustration about the decision to contest the seat at all, questioning the campaign's overall direction.

Debate Over 'Zionism is Racism' Motion

Senior Green Party figures also began dissecting the potential impact of the controversial 'Zionism is racism' motion passed at the party conference shortly before the by-election. Some sources suggested that "liberal Zionist" Jewish voters in Camden might have been deterred from supporting the Greens. There were also indications from Green, Labour, and Liberal Democrat sources that some Conservative and Liberal Democrat voters chose to vote tactically for Labour to prevent Polanski's election. An activist noted that the 'Zionism is racism' issue was not a primary concern for voters on the doorstep, who were more focused on whether the party was perceived positively.

Hackney Council's De-twinning Consultation

The foreign policy debate resurfaced in relation to Hackney Council's ongoing consultation on de-twinning from Haifa, Israel. Mayor of Hackney, Zoë Garbett, who is a Green councillor, had not voted on the 'Zionism is racism' motion due to campaigning for Polanski. However, a spokesperson for Mayor Garbett stated that if Zionism is defined as a political ideology supporting the creation and continuation of a specific ethnonationalist state in historic Palestine, born from colonial actions and enabled through ethnic cleansing, then it is racist. A Hackney Green insider expressed frustration that this debate diverted energy from local council matters. The consultation on terminating municipal ties with Haifa is due to end on October 14. The initial deadline of October 7 was postponed after accusations of insensitivity from Jewish groups, as it coincided with the anniversary of the Hamas attack in Israel. Mayor Garbett later apologised to the Mayor of Haifa for this error.

The Palestine Solidarity Campaign has urged Hackney's Mayor to proceed with the de-twinning, citing concerns from Palestinian colleagues in Haifa. However, a Hackney Green insider suggested that floating the policy too early may have been a misstep, leading to unintended consequences.