Zack Polanski’s prospective bid for the Holborn and St Pancras by-election is facing an internal challenge from Green activists who are pushing for a British Palestinian candidate or closer co-operation with a pro-Gaza independent.
Polanski, the Green Party leader, has been tipped to contest the seat after previously saying he would “almost certainly” stand in a London parliamentary by-election.
The contest was triggered by Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation from the House of Commons on Tuesday, setting the stage for the sixth major by-election of 2026.
Polanski has already begun campaigning in the constituency, describing the contest as a “referendum on ending rip-off Britain”.
He also called it “the next chapter for myself, the Greens and for people across the country”, adding to expectations that he will seek the nomination in the traditionally Labour-held seat.
But some Green activists are considering an alternative strategy, centred on the conflict in Gaza and the selection of a Palestinian candidate.
WhatsApp messages seen by the Times showed Matt Barker, a former Green council candidate in Lewisham, asking members of a “Greens for Palestine” group whether either would consider standing in Holborn and St Pancras.
“Would either of you, as British Palestinians, consider standing in Holborn & St Pancras? I’d love to help elect a Green Palestinian,” he wrote.
Barker also encouraged other Palestinians in the group to put themselves forward, offering to “help as much as I can to help win the seat”.
The WhatsApp group is not formally affiliated with the Green Party, although it includes members such as deputy leader Mothin Ali and has supported a number of Green candidates.
Ali was reported to be considering standing in the constituency, although Green Party sources denied that he was preparing a bid.
One participant in the group said: “I can’t help but feel that a Palestinian candidate that challenges Labour hard, even beats them, in Starmer’s old seat would be epic.”
Another argued that a “strong Palestinian campaigner” would be an ideal challenger, although the final decision would rest with the local Green Party organisation.
A spokesman for Greens for Palestine told the Times on behalf of the group’s members: “We believe it would be both right and just for a Palestinian MP to replace such an awful prime minister and member of parliament, so that the wrongs committed by this British government under Starmer’s leadership might be laid bare and maybe even partially redressed.
“We would welcome the opportunity to see a Palestinian candidate stand in Holborn & St Pancras or in any future general election. This country is in urgent need of an anti-Zionist MP.”
Other activists have suggested that the Greens should instead work with Andrew Feinstein, a pro-Gaza independent who won about 3,000 more votes than the Greens in the constituency at the 2024 general election.
“Greens should co-operate with him to win against [the Labour Party] candidate. Greens won’t win there,” one member wrote.
Feinstein has yet to confirm whether he will contest the by-election. But he said: “We must ensure that all progressive forces in Holborn & St Pancras unite in order to deliver an MP who represents us & will work for us. An MP who is the antithesis of everything that Starmer stands for.”
The internal debate comes as the Greens seek to build on their electoral advances and translate rising national visibility into parliamentary representation.
The party has already established an official WhatsApp community, “Team 6th Green MP”, to organise its campaign for the by-election, according to the Times.
For Polanski, the contest would provide an opportunity to convert his growing national profile into a Commons seat. But the competing proposals underline a wider strategic question for the Greens: whether to concentrate on a national campaign under its leader or prioritise candidates and alliances built around local support for the Palestinian cause.
Labour, meanwhile, is reported to be considering Sagal Abdi-Wali, a Somali refugee and leader of Camden Council, as its candidate.
The eventual contest could therefore become an unusually significant test of whether Labour can retain Starmer’s former constituency, while also measuring the ability of the Greens and pro-Gaza independents to consolidate support on the left of the political spectrum.
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