The Greens have conceded defeat in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection, saying they have come a “close second” in the contest.
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they → concede → contest
A party spokesperson said:
It is clear now we will come a close second in this by-election. Taking the fight to Labour in one of its safest seats shows just how far the Greens have come.
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Greens → say → seats
Voters want us to keep Labour’s feet to the fire on affordable housing, public ownership of water and the climate crisis.
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us → want → water
Greens will be there every single day, holding Labour to account and demanding the change people voted for.
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people → hold → change
The loss will be disappointing for Polanski, who was hoping to replicate the party’s seismic win in Gordon and Denton earlier this year.
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who → hop → Gordon
Thousands of party activists descended on the north London constituency to knock doors but it appears their efforts fell short.
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efforts → descend → doors
The results caps off a bruising week Polanski and his eco-populist party, which fell into turmoil after it voted on Sunday to adopt a policy declaring Zionism as a form of racism, sparking internal division that continued after polls closed.
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polls → cap → division
Caroline Lucas refused to say whether Polanski should stand down within an hour of polls shutting while speaking to BBC Newsnight.
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polls → refuse → Newsnight
From the count here in Camden council’s swanky headquarters, signs suggest a Labour-win is imminent.
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win → suggest → headquarters
After the polls closed, the Greens issued a fairly downbeat statement on the “positive campaign” the party ran in “what is one of Labour’s safest seats” – hardly a barnstorming comment suggesting confidence in their chances tonight.
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what → close → chances
A Green loss could spell further disquiet in the party after a motion terming Zionism as a form of racism passed at its conference.
Green party leader Zack Polanski has been seen arriving at Camden Council chambers in north London as the byelection count continues.
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count → spell → London
Zack Polanski’s had a tricky week leading up to the byelection amid criticism he showed a lack of leadership over a policy equating Zionism with racism adopted at last weekend’s Green party conference
But the Greens’ adoption of the policy has been highly contentious – drawing sharp rebukes from mainstream UK parties, British Jewish groups and Israel – while also prompting four of five Green MPs to publicly reject the move.
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adoption → ’ → move
The motion said Zionism – the movement for a Jewish state – should be “treated as any other form of racism” and called for Israel to be replaced by a single Palestinian state.
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Israel → say → state
The head of the Jewish Greens condemned it and said she might leave the party, although it was supported by some Jewish Greens.
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it → condemn → Greens
Even members who supported large parts of the motion were unhappy about its narrow conception of Zionism which some fear could brand those in favour of the idea of a Jewish homeland – but not specifically the modern-day state of Israel – as racist.
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some → support → Israel
The English and Welsh Greens are facing international ostracism after their adoption of the policy drew dismay from the group representing European Greens.
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adoption → face → Greens
Keir Starmer won it with a majority of 11,500 at the 2024 general election despite strong challenges from the Greens and a leftwing independent candidate, who is not standing again and has endorsed Zack Polanski.
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who → win → Polanski
In 2019 Starmer won by nearly 28,000 votes.
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Starmer → win → votes
Polanski has run a highly energetic campaign.
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Polanski → run → campaign
He has mobilised a large numbers of supporters to knock on doors, mimicking February’s Gorton and Denton byelection, where the Greens overcame an even bigger Labour majority to take the seat.
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Greens → mobilise → seat
However, the political landscape has changed.
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landscape → change → ?
Shortly after Gorton and Denton, YouGov polling put the Greens briefly above Labour, on a peak of 21%.
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polling → put → %
The most recent equivalent had Polanksi’s party on 11%, 16 points behind Labour.
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equivalent → have → Labour
Burnham, who succeeded Starmer as prime minister in July, is seen as having revitalised Labour, and used his speech at the party’s annual conference last month to set out a more ambitious and left-leaning collection of policies.
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who → succeed → policies
Polanski’s fortunes, in contrast, appear to have declined, especially since last weekend’s Green party conference where a vote by members to adopt a policy equating Zionism with racism and calling for Israel to be replaced by a single Palestinian state prompted condemnation and splits in the party.
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Israel → appear → party
Counting under way in Holborn and St Pancras byelection
Hello and welcome to the UK politics live blog.
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Counting → welcome → blog
Counting is currently under way in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection in north London, where voters are choosing a replacement for former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer.
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voters → choose → Starmer
Starmer announced his decision to step down as an MP in September after being ousted from No 10 by Andy Burnham.
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Starmer → announce → Burnham
Camden council has said the result is expected to be called between 2:30-4am UK time.
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result → say → 2:30
We’ll bring you the latest developments as we get them.
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we → bring → them
The Aporia
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