Labour Fends Off Greens to Win Holborn By-Election
Labour held Keir Starmer's former London seat on Friday. Council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali beat Green Party leader Zack Polanski in the by-election.
- 12,292 votes for Abdi-Wali; 8,928 for Polanski.
- 38.7% turnout, the lowest for any English by-election this parliament.
- 314 votes went to George Galloway of the Workers Party.
- 1983 is when Labour began holding the seat, continuously since.
Why it matters: The result was Burnham's first big test as prime minister after Starmer resigned in July. It suggests Labour has slowed the Green rise that cost it seats in May.
- Greens won the Gorton and Denton by-election in February.
- Burnham has taken a tougher line on Israel since becoming leader.
- Green members voted last weekend to declare Zionism a form of racism.
How 10 sources split on this story
Where they split: Coverage divides on whether the result mainly shows Burnham reviving Labour or Polanski's own leadership faltering.
Center coverage, 4 sources: The center reports a clear Labour hold that gives the new prime minister a boost.
Left coverage, 3 sources: The left reads the result as an early test of whether Burnham can win back left-leaning voters Labour lost over Gaza.
Right coverage, 3 sources: The right frames the vote as a make-or-break moment for Polanski and a referendum on his direction for the Greens.
What’s next: Polanski faces questions over his leadership. He skipped the conference vote on the Zionism motion to campaign in the seat.
- Caroline Lucas told BBC Newsnight: "I want him to show the leadership that was frankly missing on Sunday."
- Will Green members or MPs move to challenge Polanski as leader?
- Does the low turnout limit what the result says about Burnham's recovery?
