Greens’ Zack Polanski to stand in byelection for Keir Starmer’s seat – UK politics live

Zack Polanski has confirmed that he wants to contest the byelection in Holborn and St Pancras, the north London constituency formerly represented by Keir Starmer. He made the announcement in an interview with the Camden New Journal, the local paper where Starmer also announced that he was stepping down as MP.

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I have lived and worked in this community over many years, I know it well and I love it.

Polanski said his long connection with the area would shape his candidacy. “I have lived and worked in this community over many years, I know it well and I love it,” he said. He described the constituency as representing many of the qualities that make London special and said he was excited by the prospect of representing it in Parliament.

The Green Party leader framed the contest as a direct battle between Labour and the Greens. He pointed to rising pressure on household finances, saying that people are struggling and that goods and services once considered affordable are increasingly out of reach.

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It represents so many of the things that make London so special. I am so excited by the prospect of representing this place in parliament.

Polanski presented the byelection as an opportunity for voters to send a message against declining living standards and the concentration of extreme wealth among the richest. He said residents would get an MP “totally dedicated to standing up for them.”

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It’s a clear fight between Labour and the Green party.

He added that he would use a parliamentary seat to pressure the Labour government to make life more affordable for people living in Holborn and St Pancras.

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What voters in Holborn and St Pancras will get with me as their MP is someone totally dedicated to standing up for them.