Voting begins in Holborn and St Pancras by-election
Candidates are competing for the north London seat following Sir Keir Starmer's decision to stand down as an MP to focus on international affairs.
Candidates are competing for the north London seat following Sir Keir Starmer's decision to stand down as an MP to focus on international affairs.
Voting has begun in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election in north London on Thursday 8 October. Polling stations opened at 07:00 BST and are scheduled to close at 22:00.
Approximately 30 polling stations, located in churches and community centres, are being used for the vote. Voters are required to present an acceptable form of ID, such as a driving licence or passport, to cast their ballot.
Labour has held this seat for 32 years. In the 2024 general election, former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer won the seat with 48.9% of the vote, totalling 18,884 votes. The runner-up was independent Andrew Feinstein, who received 18.9% of the vote.
The count is expected to begin after 22:00 tonight, though an exit poll is not expected for this by-election.
There are 15 candidates standing in the contest. Labour's candidate is the leader of Camden council, 42-year-old Sagal Abdi-Wali, who is supported by Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
The Green Party is attempting to win the seat with Zack Polanski leading their campaign. Polanski is the Green Party leader in England and Wales. The Greens received 10.4% of the vote in 2024.
Other candidates include Ewan Cameron for the Conservatives, Peter Newman for Reform UK, Patrick Thomas Stillman for the Liberal Democrats, and George Galloway for the Workers Party of Britain.
The Green Party enters the by-election following significant results in the May 2026 local elections, where they gained 440 councillors and now control five councils. Their most recent YouGov polling stands at 11%, down from a peak of 21% following the Gorton and Denton by-election.
The party recently passed a motion at their Brighton conference stating that Zionism is racism. Zack Polanski abstained from the vote on the Zionism motion and stated he will "not accept any exclusion, or refusal to engage with anyone, because of the religious or communal body they are part of".
The result is seen as a gauge of whether the Greens can peel off support from Labour's left and whether the Greens can take support from Labour. It may also affect Andy Burnham's honeymoon period as Prime Minister.