Story perspectives

Zack Polanski Loses By-Election as Pressure to Resign Grows

By Drooid · Oct 10, 2026, 2:40 PM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Green Party leader Zack Polanski lost the Holborn and St Pancras by-election on 9 October 2026, finishing behind Labour candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali.
Jewish Greens chair Vivien Lichtenstein urged Polanski to resign over his leadership lapse and the Zionism-racism motion.
Former leader Caroline Lucas said Polanski failed by missing the conference debate and vote.
A YouGov poll after the by-election found 34% think Polanski should quit, while 20% think he should stay.

History

Historical Context

The 2015 election of Jeremy Corbyn as Labour leader sparked a national antisemitism scandal, prompting the 2016 Chakrabarti Inquiry, which issued 20 recommendations and led to rule changes in 2017. The controversy, later highlighted by the 2020 EHRC report’s 23 instances of political interference, now echoes in Green leader Zack Polanski’s defeat and calls for his resignation.

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Story summary

Green Party leader Zack Polanski lost the Holborn and St Pancras by-election on 9 October 2026, finishing behind Labour candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali.
Jewish Greens chair Vivien Lichtenstein urged Polanski to resign over his leadership lapse and the Zionism-racism motion.
Former leader Caroline Lucas said Polanski failed by missing the conference debate and vote.
A YouGov poll after the by-election found 34% think Polanski should quit, while 20% think he should stay.

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