Zack Polanski told Green defeat would be 'curtains for his leadership' as polls close in Holborn

Polls have now closed in Holborn & St Pancras as Zack Polanski mounts his bid to enter the House of Commons. Mr Polanski, who last stood in 2019 when he received just 728 votes in the Cities of London and Westminster, is hoping to overturn Sir Keir Starmer's 11,572 vote majority in the staunchly Labour-held seat. The ex-Prime Minister resigned last month after admitting he was looking to focus his efforts on the world stage. Labour opted to put forward local council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali as its candidate, while the Tories, Liberal Democrats, Reform UK and Restore Britain also fielded challengers in the seat. The contest is regarded as a knife-edge battle between Labour and the Greens. The result is expected to be declared between 3am and 4am. The Conservatives have predicted it will be "curtains" for Green leader Zack Polanski if he loses the ballot. A party spokesman said: "The Greens and Labour have tried to make this by-election about the Middle East and drive our communities apart. "The Greens especially have descended into the sectarian gutter with their contemptible antisemitic Conference motion. "Instead, Ewan Cameron has run a relentlessly positive campaign focused on the issues that really matter to voters in Holborn and St Pancras: crime, housing and the cost of living. "If Zack Polanski fails to win this by-election, it will surely be curtains for his leadership of the party. We hope it also marks the end of the Green Party’s sorry embrace of antisemitism." FOLLOW BELOW FOR LIVE UPDATES… Founder of Electoral Calculus Dr Martin Baxter suggests Green have 'peaked' in London Founder of Electoral Calculus Dr Martin Baxter has told GB News the Green Party may have "peaked" in London. Weighing in on the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, Dr Baxter said Zack Polanski's party hit its peak in April but has been sliding in support ever since. Labour, meanwhile, have been bolstered by the so-called "Burnham boost" ever since Andy Burnham entered Downing Street, he said. Comparing tonight's by-election to Makerfield, Dr Baxter said: "Now, the Greens might be hoping that something like that happens this evening. They've got a very high profile candidate. They've got their actual leader rather than a putative leader. "And so there's the possibility of Greens get excited that they'll turn out and vote. But against that is the problem that the Greens have peaked as it were in London, are roughly back in April. "They were doing very well then. They might have won the seat if there had been a general election in April. "But they've been sliding in support since, as Andy Burnham has bounced up in the polls after he's taken over from Keir Starmer, whose departure has resulted in this by election in the first place." Green Party puts on brave face ahead of results The Green Party has put on a brave face and focused on the positives after the turnout was revealed. Sources from the party have said the Greens said the party, and its leader Zack Polanski, would not have been in the mix just a year ago. They emphasised that Holborn and St Pancras has been a safe Labour seat for over four decades, and believe to be ahead in some wards. The sources estimate the Green Party has tripled its vote share since the 2024 General Election, but it should be noted pro-Gaza independent Andrew Feinstein, who came second in the 2024 ballot, is not standing in the by-election. Earlier today, councillors in Camden suggested the Greens' "Zionism is racism" motion had cost Mr Polanski election. Elsewhere in Britain, Labour is winning council by-elections Elsewhere in the UK, Labour is winning council by-elections. This includes the Town ward in the Newcastle-under-Lyme borough council by-election, where the party gained a seat from Reform with 46.2 per cent of the vote. And in Lambeth council, the ward of Myatt's Fields has been held by Labour with 46.7 per cent of the vote. By-election turnout lower than 2024 Turnout at the 2026 Holborn and St Pancras by-election is 38.76 per cent. There were 27,039 votes cast in the ballot which may throw Zack Polanksi's Green Party leadership into jeopardy. This is significantly lower than the 2024 General Election turnout of 54.1 per cent. All ballot boxes back from polling stations as Labour quietly confident All ballot boxes are back from polling stations as the count continues. Sources at the count suggest a lower turnout than the General Election. Labour is quietly confident its candidate, Sagal Abdi-Wali, has held the seat with 40 per cent of votes or more. The Liberal Democrats, meanwhile, may receive fewer votes than Restore, sources have told GB News. Restore Britain candidate Tyler Johnson tells GB News he was allegedly assaulted on campaign trail The Restore Britain candidate for Holborn and St Pancras Tyler Johnson has alleged he was assaulted "multiple times" during the campaign. He told GB News his campaign manager was allegedly "scalded with hot water" and pushed while distributing leaflets in another constituency. Asked about Zack Polanski's prospects, Mr Johnson said the Green Party had "shot themselves in the foot" by passing the "Zionism is racism" motion. He said: "I don't think that people take Zack seriously. I don't think people take the Green Party seriously, but they hold a vote and they share opinions with a lot of the electorate in this area about international politics, which we don't care about. We care about Britain." When asked if the Greens had featured environmental issues on their campaign material, the Restore candidate said he had not noticed any. He said: "I mean, if we want to talk about the environment, there is so much litter and trash in the area, and I don't think that's one of their priorities - if I've seen their brochure and leaflets correctly. "Our priorities are going to be reducing crime and giving social housing to Britons, and putting more officers on the street to stop and search people with knives. "Of course, dealing with the parking issues, but I've seen nothing with them about climate. "I've actually seen more things about Gaza and Israel. We don't care. We put Britain first." Camden councillors suggest Green Party 'Zionism is racism' motion cost Zack Polanski by-election Camden activists and councillors on the ground have suggested the Green Party's "Zionism is racism" motion cost Zack Polanski the by-election. Councillors for both Labour and the Liberal Democrats said voters had informed them they would not be backing the Green Party after it passed the controversial motion which Mr Polanski did not vote on. One councillor said people had been "clearly angry" about the issue when they had spoken to them while canvassing. Leader of the Climate Party tells GB News Greens are 'extremely distracted' The leader of the Climate Party, Ed Gemmell, whose party is also standing in the by-election, told GB News the Green Party was, under Zack Polanski, "extremely distracted" away from environmental issues. He told GB News: "We're entirely focused on climate, nature and the clean industry, and we think the Greens have completely left that space alone. "Now they're totally distracted by everything else. Recent events are suggesting that they are extremely distracted. They can't even avoid what was potentially embarrassing politically." Mr Gemmell said if current Green MP Adrian Ramsay - who opposed the "Zionism is racism" motion - was standing in the seat, he may not have challenged it at all. "But we are specifically standing to put a message across to Zach Polanski," the Climate Party leader said. "If you don't become more environmental, if you don't get back to the roots of the Green Party, we'll keep standing." Mr Gemmell also suggested his small upstart party was receiving votes from disillusioned Greens and some ex-Conservative voters who are upset Kemi Badenoch has abandoned its Net Zero commitments. Andy Burnham says Green Party 'Zionism is racism' motion was 'completely wrong decision' Andy Burnham, earlier today, said the Green Party's "Zionism is racism" motion was the "completely wrong decision" and called on the party to reverse course. He said: "I think it was the completely wrong decision, a terrible judgement on the part of the Green Party of England and Wales, in effect ruling out a two state solution between Israel and Palestine, and for that reason shouldn't be supported in any way, shape or form. "And I would call on the leadership of the Green Party to say that it will be reversed and it won't be Green Party policy. "In my view, all political parties in the UK should do everything they can to support the two state solution between Israel and Palestine, and that certainly will remain the government's position, and it's something we have reinforced strongly in recent weeks." Asked if the motion ruled out a future Labour-Green coalition, he said it was not something he would get into, but made clear the Government's view "in relation to the wrongness of that resolution and the importance of the two state solution". Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas does not rule out Zack Polanski standing down Caroline Lucas, a former Green Party leader and its first MP in the Commons has not ruled out Zack Polanksi standing down after the by-election. Mrs Lucas expressed her disappointment with Mr Polanski's leadership after he did not vote in the party's controversial "Zionism is racism" motion. She said: "He should have been there and he should have voted. And I would have hoped he would be a really strong critic of this motion, because this motion was flawed from top to bottom in my view. "It's dangerous, it's divisive, it tries to have a singular definition of Zionism." And when asked by BBC Newsnight if she believed he should stand down, she said: "I think let's just see what happens in the coming days and weeks." She added: "I want him to speak now about what's happened, I want him to show the leadership that was frankly missing on Sunday, I think the jury is out on whether or not he will do that." Zack Polanski releases pessimistic statement as Labour expects hold Zack Polanski has released a statement seeming to downplay his chances of victory as Labour sources indicate confidence. "What a campaign," the Green Party leader said on social media. "Thank you to the 1,000+ volunteers today and everyone throughout the campaign. "The Green Party got 10 per cent last time. "Whatever happens tonight - we made Labour work like they never have before. I'm so proud of you all." Labour sources, meanwhile, told the New Statesman they expect a hold between 1,000 and 3,000 votes. This would represent a three to eight point hold, according to the magazine. Liberal Democrats by-election candidate thanks supporters as polls close Liberal Democrats candidate Patrick Stillman has issued his response to the polls closing in the Holborn & St Pancras by-election. In a post shared on X, Mr Stillman said: "All that's left to say is thank you. Thank you to the lovely reception we've received on the doors these last few weeks, and thank you to our team. We wouldn't have been able to do this without you. "Whether you've stuffed some envelopes, written a few blue letters, or come and knocked on some doors, we really hope you've had the best time, and it's been fantastic to campaign alongside you. "The work our team do on the council has been felt across this constituency, and you can really feel that on the doors. "So we're going to keep up that momentum, and you're going to see a lot more of us in Holborn & St Pancras." Zack Polanski's Green Party referred to EHRC over 'Zionism is racism' motion as ex-leader considers quitting Zack Polanski's Green Party has been referred to the Equality and Human Rights Commission (EHRC) after voting in a "Zionism is racism" motion at their party's conference on Sunday. The Campaign Against Antisemitism (CAA)