Labour holds Starmer's former seat as Green leader Polanski faces leadership crisis

Key points

• Sagal Abdi-Wali, the local council leader and a former child refugee from Somalia, secured the seat previously held by Keir Starmer, marking the first time Labour has lost the constituency since its creation in 1983.
• Zack Polanski, the Green Party leader, conceded defeat but stated he would not resign, describing the loss as part of the 'Burnham honeymoon' while acknowledging that one in three voters supported his party.
• The Green Party’s vote share rose to 33% from 10.4% in the 2024 general election, though analysts note this includes voters who previously supported independent pro-Palestine candidates.
• Polanski faced intense pressure after party members passed a motion defining Zionism as racism and supporting a single democratic Palestinian state, a move he did not vote on and later described as 'imperfect'.
• Former Green leaders Caroline Lucas and Jonathan Bartley, along with Jewish Greens leader Vivien Lichtenstein, criticized Polanski for failing to show leadership during the controversy, with some calling for his resignation.

Background

The by-election followed a period of significant political instability for the UK left. Earlier in 2026, the Green Party won a by-election in Gorton and Denton, which contributed to the departure of Keir Starmer and the rise of Andy Burnham to the premiership. The current crisis stems from a motion adopted in October 2025, where Green members voted 1,022 to 813 to declare Zionism a form of racism, leading to Israel banning Polanski from the country and causing internal resignations. This by-election was viewed as a test of whether the Green Party could maintain its momentum or if Labour could reclaim lost left-wing support.

How outlets are covering it

Al Jazeera emphasized the political boost for Prime Minister Andy Burnham and framed the result as a victory for unity against division, highlighting Abdi-Wali's background. The BBC focused heavily on the internal Green Party crisis, detailing the specific criticisms from Vivien Lichtenstein and former leaders, and Polanski's refusal to answer a direct question about Israel's right to exist on Radio 4. The Guardian provided a more analytical perspective, questioning the true growth of the Green vote by comparing it to the 2024 independent candidate results, and argued that Polanski's provocative tactics have alienated moderate voters and traditional Green supporters, potentially weakening the party's long-term viability despite the high vote share.

Why it matters

The result confirms that while the Green Party has become a more significant player in UK politics, it faces a severe identity crisis that may limit its electoral appeal. For Labour, holding Starmer's former seat suggests that the 'Burnham bounce' has stabilized the party's base, potentially reducing the threat from both the Greens and the populist Reform UK party in the next general election. The ongoing dispute over the Zionism motion also highlights the deepening polarization in UK politics regarding the Israel-Palestine conflict, which continues to influence voter behavior and party cohesion.

What to watch

Polanski is expected to face a leadership challenge in the summer of 2027, as the next scheduled ballot. In the interim, the Green Party must navigate internal divisions, with some members and MPs working to reverse the Zionism motion. Labour will likely use this victory to consolidate its position ahead of the next national election, while the Green Party may need to reinvent its platform to recover lost support from moderate and Jewish voters.