The Green Party's ruling executive committee has refused a request to postpone its upcoming annual conference. The request was made so the party could focus on the Holborn and St Pancras byelection.
While party officials stated the formal request came from staffers concerned about resource allocation, The Guardian understands that party leader Zack Polanski wanted the postponement. The executive committee of the Greens in England and Wales, which includes Polanski among its approximately 25 voting members, voted against the proposal on Thursday.
The party's biggest gathering is expected to attract around 3,000 attendees and is scheduled to begin in Brighton on 2 October. The Holborn and St Pancras byelection, where Polanski hopes to challenge for Keir Starmer’s former Commons seat, is set for 8 October, four days after the conference concludes.
A Green party spokesperson stated: “The party was exploring different ways of allocating our resources effectively while fighting the Holborn and St Pancras byelection. One possible option was to postpone our conference. After discussion we remain committed to running an incredibly ambitious Holborn and St Pancras byelection campaign and holding what will be our biggest ever party conference.”