GREEN leaders are debating who to advance as the party’s candidate in the upcoming parliamentary by-election in Holborn and St Pancras.

Party leader Zack Polanski and deputy leader Mothin Ali have both been mentioned as possible contenders in the poll, which follows the resignation of Sir Keir Starmer from the Commons.

Mr Polanski was reported as “knocking on doors” in the area on Monday and said, enigmatically that he was “very excited for the next chapter for myself.”

However the final decision will be made by the Greens’ local membership, in line with the party’s decentralised democracy, with a candidate selected by the end of next week.

Andrew Feinstein, the pro-Gaza independent who was runner-up to Sir Keir in 2024 with more than 7,000 votes, has yet to finally decide whether to run again, and is consulting supporters.

He has called for progressives to unite around a single candidate in the election.

Camden People’s Alliance, a left community-based group which backs Mr Feinstein and won a council seat in May in alliance with the Greens, will meet next week to determine its position.

Sir Keir lost half his constituency vote in 2024. However, he still had a majority of more than 11,000 and Labour retained control of the local authority, Camden, in spite of Green advances and at the nadir of the party’s fortunes before it changed leader.

Whoever Labour chooses as its candidate must therefore start as favourite.

Mr Polanski, whose party has seen its polling drop somewhat since Andy Burnham succeeded Sir Keir, had previously been thought to favour contesting a parliamentary seat in Hackney, east London, where the Greens hold the council and the mayoralty.