Polls have closed in the St Holborn and St Pancras by-election, with Andy Burnham facing a first test for his re-energised Labour Party.
Counting is underway in the constituency, where Zack Polanski is hoping to break Labour’s grip and secure his own seat in the House of Commons.
The north London seat has been a Labour stronghold since its formation in 1983, held by Frank Dobson for 32 years and Sir Keir for 11.
It could prove a defining moment for Mr Polanski’s leadership, after the party enjoyed record-breaking results in the May 2026 local elections, adding more than 440 councillors and gaining control of five councils.
However, the bookies’ favourite is Labour’s candidate, Camden Council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali, who Mr Burnham has said would make “a brilliant local MP”.
The election offers the prime minister a chance to show he is restoring voters’ faith in the Labour Party, after its poll ratings nosedived during Sir Keir’s time in No 10.
There are 13 other candidates in the by-election, including Tory candidate Ewan Cameron, Reform UK’s Peter Newman and the Liberal Democrats’ Patrick Thomas Stillman.
Read MoreUK poll tracker: Latest voting intention ahead of Holborn and St Pancras by-election
Who is standing in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election?
Key Points
- Counting underway in Holborn and St Pancras
- Polanski says Greens ran 'a positive campaign full of energy'
- Voting closes for Holborn and St Pancras by-election
- Labour and Greens lock horns in by-election battle
- List of candidates for by-election
Monster Raving Loony party arrive
01:28 , Athena StavrouWe’re a few hours from the result, but the Monster Raving Looney party are keeping people at the count entertained.
The party’s candidate in the contest is Barmy Brunch, who is a “clown” and wears a baked bean mask.
Tories hit out at Labour and Green campaigns as polls close
01:03 , Athena StavrouThe Conservatives have criticised the by-election campaigns ran by both the Greens and Labour as polls closed in Holborn and St Pancras.
The Tories claimed both parties had “tried to make this by-election about the Middle East and drive our communities apart”, and said it would be “curtains” for Zack Polanski’s leadership if he loses the contest.
“The Greens and Labour have tried to make this by-election about the Middle East and drive our communities apart,” a Conservative Party spokesman said.
“The Greens especially have descended into the sectarian gutter with their contemptible antisemitic Conference motion.
“Instead, Ewan Cameron has run a relentlessly positive campaign focused on the issues that really matter to voters in Holborn and St Pancras: crime, housing and the cost of living.
“If Zack Polanski fails to win this by-election, it will surely be curtains for his leadership of the party. We hope it also marks the end of the Green Party’s sorry embrace of antisemitism.”
Latest pictures from the count
00:28 , Athena Stavrou
Vote counting underway
23:59 , Athena StavrouA few minutes ago, we heard that one of the ballot counting teams has finished verification.
They were the first of 12 teams to do, and will now begin counting ballots while the other teams continue verification.
The count is split over two floors here, with representatives from various parties overseeing how the ballots are counted.
We’re expecting a result in the early hours of the morning.
Burnham criticises Green 'Zionism is racism' motion
23:42 , Athena StavrouAndy Burnham has criticised the Greens after it passed a motion declaring ‘Zionism is racism’ at its party conference.
The prime minister called on Green Party leadership to reverse the motion, voted for by members, which he said “shouldn't be supported in any way, shape or form”.
Saying the motion was “terrible judgement on behalf of the Green Party”, Mr Burnham said: “"In my view, all political parties in the UK should do everything they can to support the two-state solution between Israel and Palestine.”
The comments come as Zack Polanski prepares to find out whether he will become an MP, as counting gets underway in the Holborn and St Pancras by election.
Mr Polanski did not himself vote in the motion, having left his party’s conference early to campaign.
But he has faced criticism from political opposition for not condemning the vote, and has cast a shadow over his by-election efforts.
Stage is set in Holborn and St Pancras
23:20 , Athena StavrouIt’s just gone 11pm and counting is underway in Holborn and St Pancras.
I’m at the count, where we are expecting to find out whether Zack Polanski has pulled off a massive win as the result is declared in the early hours of the morning.
Representatives from almost all the parties in the race are also here, overseeing the counts that have begun.
If there’s not a recount, we should be getting a declaration between 2:30am and 4am. Stay tuned for more updates.
In pictures: Ballot papers are counted
22:37 , Alex Ross
Labour's deputy leader praises party's candidate
22:21 , Alex RossLabour has also issued a statement following the closing of polls, with deputy leader Lucy Powell saying the party’s candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali had “campaigned positively” on her vision to improve the area.
She said: “If the voters of Holborn and St. Pancras put their trust in Labour, I know that Sagal will work hard every day to make life better for each and every person across the constituency.”
Polanski says Greens ran 'a positive campaign full of energy'
22:15 , Alex RossIn a statement issued as the polls close, Green Party leader Zack Polanski said his party had shown how far it had come to be “the main challenger” for Sir Keir Starmer’s former seat.
He also reflected on party’s campaign.
A Green Party spokesperson said: “Whatever the result later, we've run a positive campaign full of energy in what is one of Labour's safest seats.
“To be the main challenger shows how far the Greens have come. We know that many want to give the new prime minister a chance and for the Greens to keep them on a progressive track, on issues like rent controls, water nationalisation and the climate crisis.
“Whether we win or lose, this evening, keeping the pressure on the Labour government to deliver on these priorities will be our focus."
Voting closes for Holborn and St Pancras by-election
22:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainVoting for the Holborn and St Pancras by-election has now closed.
The votes will now be counted, and results could be announced in the early hours of Friday morning.
By-election falls on difficult week for Green Party leader
21:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe by-election has fallen on a difficult week for Zack Polanski, after the Green Party passed a controversial motion at its conference in Brighton asserting that “Zionism is racism”.
Mr Polanski, who abstained on the vote, later said that he will “not accept any exclusion, or refusal to engage with anyone, because of the religious or communal body they are part of”.
When will vote counting begin?
20:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe count will begin after polling stations close at 10pm on Thursday.
The result of by-elections usually are announced in the early hours of the morning the following day.
In 2024, the result in the general election vote in Holborn and St Pancras was announced at 4.15am.
What time is the Holborn and St Pancras by-election announced and is there an exit poll?
19:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainPolls have opened in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election as candidates battle to replace Sir Keir Starmer as the MP for the north London constituency.
The seat has been a Labour stronghold for 32 years, but dozens of candidates are standing for election, with the Green Party in particular hoping to break the decades-long streak as Zack Polanski eyes a seat in the House of Commons.
It could be a defining moment for Mr Polanski’s leadership of the party, which has seen a surge in membership and record-breaking results in the May 2026 local elections, gaining more than 440 councillors and gaining control of five councils.
What time is the Holborn and St Pancras by-election announced?
Who is Labour's candidate today?
18:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainSagal Abdi-Wali, the leader of Camden Council, will attempt to defend the Holborn and St Pancras constituency for the party.
Ms Abdi-Wali has represented Camden Square as a councillor since 2022, and assumed leadership of the council in May.
Only two Labour MPs have ever represented Holborn and St Pancras: former health secretary Frank Dobson, from 1983 to 2015, then Sir Keir.
At the most recent general election in 2024, Sir Keir held the seat with 48.9 per cent of the vote, ahead of independent candidate Andrew Feinstein in second place on 18.9 per cent and the Greens in third on 10.4 per cent. The Conservatives came fourth on 7.2 per cent, Reform finished fifth on 6.1 per cent and the Liberal Democrats were sixth on 5.8 per cent.
Ms Abdi-Wali arrived in the UK as a child refugee from Somalia aged six and has lived in the area since she was a child, only leaving for a brief stint to study at university.
She has volunteered in the local community since she was a teenager, and has sought to make housing a key issue in her campaign.
Who is Restore Britain's candidate for the by-election?
17:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainRupert Lowe’s party Restore Britain has selected lawyer Tyler Johnson to fight the by-election.
The party has publicly admitted they cannot win the contest, blaming “mass migration”.
Announcing his party’s candidate, Mr Lowe said: We are being honest with the voters about this election. Entirely because of mass immigration, this is not a seat a party promising deportations of any kind can win.
“That’s just the electoral reality. For now, at least.
“So for the remaining patriots in Holborn & St Pancras, this is a free hit. An opportunity to send a message, the most powerful message, that you want your capital city back.”
More photos from polling stations
16:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
Labour vs Greens
15:45 , Maryam Zakir-HussainLabour has held the Holborn and St Pancras seat continuously since it was created in 1983, but voters there have moved towards Green and independent candidates in recent years.
In May’s local elections, the Greens also saw major success, with Zoe Garbett becoming the UK’s first directly-elected Green mayor in Hackney – ending decades of Labour power in the position. Hours later, the party won another mayoralty in Lewisham.
Labour lost three councils to the Greens, including Hackney, Waltham Forest and Norwich, and also became the largest party in Lambeth. They also swept up Hastings council which was previously under no overall control.
In her own Camden Square ward, Sagal Abdi-Walli won by only a small margin of 60 votes to the Green Party candidate.
Who is the Tory candidate running today?
15:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainEwan Cameron, a former Camden councillor and local political campaigner, will be the Conservative representative in the by-election.
The party came fourth in 2024, and is unlikely to secure a victory this week.
Tory candidate Mr Cameron said he had been “honoured” to be selected as his party’s candidate.
“This is the community where I have lived, raised my family and call home,” he said.
“From Georgian terraces, squares and the Regent’s Canal to the Knowledge Quarter’s research, AI and science organisations today, Holborn and St Pancras has enormous potential that with the right political leadership can become an even better place to live, work and belong.
“We need a member of Parliament focused on safer streets, more family homes and cutting the cost of living.
“While families are leaving Holborn and St Pancras, the Green leader wants to talk about Gaza. Holborn and St Pancras has recently endured a ‘Never Here’ MP. We do not want another one.”
List of by-election candidates
14:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainHere is a list of by-election candidates in full:
- Communist League: Jonathan Silberman
- Conservatives: Ewan Cameron
- Christian Peoples Alliance: Helen Spiby-Vann
- Climate Party: Clare Fisher
- Green Party: Zack Polanski
- Official Monster Raving Loony Party: Barmy Brunch
- Independent: Tom Darwood
- Labour: Sagal Abdi-Wali
- Liberal Democrats: Patrick Stillman
- Reform UK: Pete Newman
- Rejoin EU Party: Briony Kapoor
- Restore Britain: Tyler Johnson
- UK VOICE: Ketankumar Pipaliya
- UKIP: Ben Walker
- Workers Party: George Galloway
Who is the Liberal Democrats candidate standing in the by-election?
14:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainPatrick Stillman, a Liberal Democrat councillor for West Hampstead and outgoing chairman of Camden Lib Dems, will be the party’s candidate in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.
The party faces a tough prospect in the seat, having come sixth in 2024, but has told voters they “deserve better” than Labour or the Greens “using this seat to prop up its leader’s ambitions”.
Speaking as he announced his candidacy Lib Dem candidate Mr Stillman said: “I’m proud to have been selected as the Liberal Democrat candidate for Holborn and St Pancras.
“Voters here deserve better than a Labour government in chaos, or a Green Party using this seat to prop up its leader’s ambitions.
“We have a distinct, confident liberal message – on housing, on safety, on giving young Londoners like me a fair shot at building a life here – and I’m going to make that case on every doorstep between now and October 8.”
Photos from polling station
13:30 , Maryam Zakir-Hussain
In pictures: Here come the dogs
13:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainA by-election is not complete without photos of dogs at a polling station.
Here’s the morning round-up.
When will vote counting begin?
12:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe count will begin after polling stations close at 10pm on Thursday.
The result of by-elections usually are announced in the early hours of the morning the following day.
In 2024, the result in the general election vote in Holborn and St Pancras was announced at 4.15am.
What time is the Holborn and St Pancras by-election announced and is there an exit poll?
12:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainPolls have opened in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election as candidates battle to replace Sir Keir Starmer as the MP for the north London constituency.
The seat has been a Labour stronghold for 32 years, but dozens of candidates are standing for election, with the Green Party in particular hoping to break the decades-long streak as Zack Polanski eyes a seat in the House of Commons.
It could be a defining moment for Mr Polanski’s leadership of the party, which has seen a surge in membership and record-breaking results in the May 2026 local elections, gaining more than 440 councillors and gaining control of five councils.
Read more here:
What time is the Holborn and St Pancras by-election announced?
Polanski says election is 'looking close today'
11:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainAhead of polls opening on Thursday, the Green Party leader said: “The election is looking close today.
“We already have a Labour government, a Labour council and a Labour mayor.
“Isn’t it time for a Green voice for Camden to push Labour to do better on issues like rent controls and to put Thames Water into public ownership – issues where they’ve been backtracking?
“On the climate crisis, today is the day to say clearly to Labour, ‘no new drilling in the North Sea’ – a decision they chose to delay until after the by-election result. That makes your vote powerful.
“A vote for the Greens today can show Labour the right direction. Make it happen today.”
Who is Reform's candidate in the Holborn by-election?
11:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainReform UK has chosen a former Metropolitan Police detective to stand in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, the party has announced.
Former counter-terrorism commander Pete Newman, who responded to the aftermath of the July 7 bombings, will contest the seat vacated by Sir Keir Starmer.
The party said he had specifically led the Met in Westminster to return the borough back to normality and helping businesses to build resilience to future acts of terrorism.
Ex-Met Police detective to stand for Reform UK in Holborn and St Pancras by-election
Who is standing in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election?
10:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainGreen Party leader Zack Polanski is among more than a dozen candidates who are days away from a crucial by-election in Sir Keir Starmer’s former seat of Holborn and St Pancras.
The contest in the north London constituency is a major test for both Mr Polanski and new Labour leader Andy Burnham, as voters issue what is seen to be their verdict on the prime minister’s first weeks in office.
Candidates from all major parties are fighting for votes, but Mr Polanski and Labour council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali are expected to be the main contenders.
Holborn and St Pancras by-election live: Voting opens in big test for Burnham
In pictures: Early morning voters go to polling station
10:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainVoting gets underway in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.
Prime minister has 'no doubt' Labour's candidate will make 'brilliant local MP'
09:45 , Maryam Zakir-HussainAndy Burnham said he has “no doubt” Labour’s candidate in the by-election, Sagal Abdi-Wali, will make a “brilliant local MP”.
He said: “Today, hope can win. But only if you vote for it.
“This area gave Sagal a home when she arrived here as a refugee in the 1990s. Camden gave Sagal and her family hope. Now she wants to give that back to the communities that have always been there for her.
“It’s hard to think of someone more committed to their local area and the care of people than Sagal.
“Sagal has a plan to take on vested interests in our water industry, to work with me to help end rough sleeping, and to make sure every young person has the opportunities they deserve to get on in life.
“Sagal is bursting with energy and positivity. She’s given so much to Camden already, and I know she has so much more to give. For Camden, for hope, vote for Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali today.”
Polanski makes one more plea
09:30 , Maryam Zakir-HussainAhead of polls opening on Thursday, the Green Party leader said: “The election is looking close today.
“We already have a Labour government, a Labour council and a Labour mayor.
“Isn’t it time for a Green voice for Camden to push Labour to do better on issues like rent controls and to put Thames Water into public ownership – issues where they’ve been backtracking?
“On the climate crisis, today is the day to say clearly to Labour, ‘no new drilling in the North Sea’ – a decision they chose to delay until after the by-election result. That makes your vote powerful.
“A vote for the Greens today can show Labour the right direction. Make it happen today.”
By-election falls on difficult week for Green Party leader
09:15 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe by-election has fallen on a difficult week for Zack Polanski, after the Green Party passed a controversial motion at its conference in Brighton asserting that “Zionism is racism”.
Mr Polanski, who abstained on the vote, later said that he will “not accept any exclusion, or refusal to engage with anyone, because of the religious or communal body they are part of”.
Voters go to polls to replace Starmer in Holborn and St Pancras by-election
09:01 , Maryam Zakir-HussainPolls have opened in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election as candidates fight to replace Sir Keir Starmer as the MP for the north London constituency.
The seat has been a Labour stronghold since its formation in 1983, held by Frank Dobson for 32 years and Sir Keir for 11.
However, Green Party leader Zack Polanski is running in the by-election, hoping to break Labour’s clean sheet and secure his own seat in the House of Commons.
It could be a defining moment for Mr Polanski’s leadership of the party, which has seen a surge in membership and record-breaking results in the May 2026 local elections, gaining more than 440 councillors and gaining control of five councils.
Comment: Zack Polanski has already lost the Holborn by-election
08:45 , James ReynoldsThe Green Party leader can write his concession speech now – the public is in the mood to give Labour under Andy Burnham another chance, says John Rentoul:
For Zack Polanski, the Holborn by-election is over already
Who is Reform's candidate in the Holborn by-election?
08:30 , James ReynoldsReform UK has chosen a former Metropolitan Police detective to stand in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, the party has announced.
Former counter-terrorism commander Pete Newman, who responded to the aftermath of the July 7 bombings, will contest the seat vacated by Sir Keir Starmer.
The party said he had specifically led the Met in Westminster to return the borough back to normality and helping businesses to build resilience to future acts of terrorism.
Ex-Met Police detective to stand for Reform UK in Holborn and St Pancras by-election
Politics explained: Can Polanski lead Greens to Holborn and St Pancras by-election win?
08:15 , James ReynoldsKeir Starmer’s constituency should be ripe for another by-election triumph for the Greens, but polls suggest it is Labour’s fight to lose, as Sean O’Grady explains:
Can Zack Polanski lead Greens to Holborn and St Pancras by-election victory?
On the ground: ‘I’m voting anti-Starmer’: Holborn and St Pancras divided as Polanski eyes former PM’s seat in crucial by-election
08:00 , James ReynoldsHolborn and St Pancras constituents will cast their vote on Thursday in a crucial test for both Zack Polanski and Andy Burnham.
Harriette Boucher asks voters whether they think this part of north London will remain red, or get swept up by the Green wave:
‘I’m voting anti-Starmer’: Could Polanski seize on anger to pinch Labour safe seat?
Who is standing in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election?
07:30 , James ReynoldsGreen Party leader Zack Polanski is among more than a dozen candidates who are days away from a crucial by-election in Sir Keir Starmer’s former seat of Holborn and St Pancras.
The contest in the north London constituency is a major test for both Mr Polanski and new Labour leader Andy Burnham, as voters issue what is seen to be their verdict on the prime minister’s first weeks in office.
Candidates from all major parties are fighting for votes, but Mr Polanski and Labour council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali are expected to be the main contenders.
Who is standing in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election?
Welcome to today's live coverage of the Holborn & St Pancras by-election
Wednesday 7 October 2026 20:06 , James ReynoldsThank you for joining us in our coverage of Thursday’s London by-election.
Throughout the day, we’ll be bringing you the latest information, responses on the ground and updates from the parties themselves.
