Holborn & St Pancras Battle: Greens Target First London Seat, Labour Chased by Reform
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- Pemilih di Holborn and St Pancras, London, akan menentukan anggota parlemen baru pada 8 Oktober dalam pemilu sela yang digelar setelah Keir Starmer mundur dari kursi parlemen.
- Partai Hijau menargetkan kemenangan bersejarah di London, sementara Labour berusaha mempertahankan benteng tradisionalnya dari gempuran Reform UK dan Lib Dem.
- Isu perumahan, kejahatan, dan kepemimpinan nasional menjadi medan pertempuran utama yang bisa menentukan arah politik Inggris pasca-Starmer.
Residents in the Holborn and St Pancras constituency in central London will head to the polls on 8 October to elect a new member of parliament. The by-election was triggered after Keir Starmer left his House of Commons seat in early September, shortly after stepping down as prime minister. The seat, long a Labour stronghold, is now the most interesting test in the current British political landscape.
For the Green Party, a win in Holborn and St Pancras would be a prestigious trophy: their first London seat in the national parliament. Labour remains confident it can hold the area it has dominated for decades, but pressure is coming from several directions. Alongside 13 other candidates, Reform UK and the Liberal Democrats are also competing for votes in this complex urban constituency.
Zack Polanski, the Green candidate who is also a London Assembly member and leader of the party in England and Wales, said he was confident but not complacent. He promised to work constructively with the Labour government on issues where they agree, but to be a critical watchdog on policies he deems disappointing—especially housing, the nationalisation of Thames Water, and the climate crisis. "Sending me to Parliament is a way to keep the Labour government in check," he told BBC London.
Polanski highlighted residents' complaints about the high cost of housing, the need for council housing, rent controls, and fairness for leaseholders. He accused the government of failing to complete the feudal leasehold system. When asked about his past as a Lib Dem candidate in Camden, he stressed that politics is not about picking a football team and sticking with it forever. According to him, he is the only candidate capable of defeating Labour in the area.
On the Labour side, Sagal Abdi-Wali, leader of Camden Council since May, said the campaign was going very well. She is aware of the political stakes: this is the first by-election under Andy Burnham's leadership, and her opponent is the leader of the Green Party. "This is a big test for the party," she said. Abdi-Wali, whose family came to London from Somalia as refugees in the 1990s, stressed the importance of sending a representative who is genuinely local and visible in the community. She acknowledged that the housing and crime crises in Camden require a national response, and praised Starmer's contribution over 11 years representing the area.
Reform UK candidate Peter Walker, who served in the Metropolitan Police for 31 years, said he could no longer stand by and watch the chaos left by the Conservative Party and Labour. He claimed Reform keeps increasing its vote share in London local elections and is the only option for Holborn and St Pancras residents. Walker promised to pressure the police chief and the mayor of London to fix the crime problems he says are rampant.
Patrick Stillman of the Liberal Democrats, a Camden Council member, sees the by-election as an opportunity for his party to reintroduce itself to the community. He is relying on fieldwork and a liberal message that touches on residents' everyday issues. Meanwhile Ewan Cameron of the Conservative Party claims to be the only candidate seriously talking about the housing crisis. He accused his opponents of being busy discussing segregation and religion, when the main problems are the lack of family homes and a sense of safety on the streets. Cameron believes Labour will become complacent if it wins again.
"I feel confident, otherwise I wouldn't be running. But I'm not complacent." — Zack Polanski, Green Party candidate
This by-election is not merely a local contest. The result will be a barometer for Labour's direction after Keir Starmer, as well as a test for the Green Party, which wants to prove itself as a mainstream political force in major cities. For Reform UK, a significant vote share would strengthen the narrative that it can break into urban areas that have traditionally been difficult for it to enter.
Indonesian context: Although this event takes place in the UK, the political dynamics in Holborn and St Pancras reflect a global trend also seen in Indonesia—particularly how housing, security, and climate change issues become arenas of electoral contest. A Green Party victory in the heart of London could inspire environment-based parties in Indonesia to expand their support base in urban areas. Conversely, if Reform UK records a surge in votes, it signals a wave of right-wing populism that is also strengthening in many democracies, including its potential impact on identity politics and immigration policy.
The most interesting thing to watch is whether the Green Party can turn disillusionment with the government into a parliamentary seat, or whether Labour will prevail again by relying on its party machine and local figures. The result on 8 October will answer whether London's political landscape is truly shifting, or just a small ripple amid traditional dominance. Either way, this battle will be a mirror for the future of progressive politics in global cities.
