Green leader Zack Polanski misses out on seat in London by-election amid row over Zionism motion

Green Party leader Zack Polanski has failed to win a seat in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election in north London, coming second to Labour, which won the seat vacated by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer. Polanski says he will remain leader.

Under his leadership, the Greens have made strong gains. Even in a Labour safe seat, the party secured nearly a third of the vote, its second-best result in a UK by-election. Former leader Caroline Lucas said his leadership had “transformed the party”.

But Lucas has also criticised Polanski after a party conference motion declared that Zionism is racism. The motion called for a single Palestinian state, effectively calling for an end to the state of Israel. Four of the party’s five MPs publicly disagreed. Polanski, who is Jewish, did not vote and, on Friday, distanced himself from the motion while standing by the party’s principles.

Al Jazeera’s Camille Nedelec reports from London.

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