Polls have closed in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election. The contest is considered a test of Prime Minister Andy Burnham's ability to unite Labour voters and whether Zack Polanski of the Green party can attract support from Labour's progressive wing.
Labour aims to retain the north London seat, previously held by Keir Starmer, who secured a majority of over 11,000 votes in the 2024 general election. This by-election is seen as a measure of the political landscape under Burnham, months into his premiership, and represents a significant first electoral test for him since succeeding Starmer in July.
The Green party is hoping to replicate its by-election victory in Gorton and Denton in February. However, a recent YouGov survey placed the Greens 16 points behind Labour, which was on 27%, a shift from earlier polling that had the Greens ahead of Labour.
Labour's candidate is Sagal Abdi-Wali, the 42-year-old leader of Camden council. Zack Polanski, the Green party leader, described the contest as "probably 50/50" and "really on a knife-edge" in an interview last Friday.