Today’s by-election is a test for Burnham and Polanskipublished at 22:03 BST
22:03 BST
Chris Mason
Political editor
This feels like a consequential and rather crunchy by-election for several reasons.
For a start, it is only happening because of the national politics of the last few years – and the resignation of Keir Starmer as prime minister. Not long after he left Downing Street, he decided to leave parliament too – vacating his seat here in Holborn and St Pancras in north London.
It is also the first by-election of Andy Burnham’s tenure as prime minister. It has been a safe Labour seat for a long, long time but the Green Party of England and Wales has been making waves since Zack Polanski became its leader – and the party performed well in the local elections in London in May.
So it is a test for Burnham and it is a test for Polanski, who is the Green candidate in this race.
Image source, Reuters
And that is where things get rather heated, given the huge row of the last few days.
The Green Party is currently eating itself alive over a motion passed at its party conference just a matter of days ago which led to Polanski being banned from Israel and his party face criticism not just from the Jewish Leadership Council and the Board of Deputies of British Jews but also from sister green parties in Europe.
Polanski, who himself is Jewish, didn’t vote on the motion which said Zionism is a form of racism and called for a single Palestinian state, meaning no Israel.
The motion passed. Polanski’s team said he was instead campaigning here in Holborn and St Pancras at the time.
He has been saying no to interviews with journalists in the last few days – the BBC’s requests have been declined.
When my colleague Emilia Belli found him campaigning earlier today, she politely but persistently put questions to him, but he didn’t answer them.
Meanwhile, the prime minister has weighed in, arguing that the motion amounted to “a completely wrong decision, a terrible judgment on the part of the Green Party of England and Wales – in effect, ruling out a two-state solution between Israel and Palestine, and for that reason it shouldn’t be supported in any way, shape or form.”
Image source, ReutersImage caption,
The prime minister called the motion a “terrible judgment” on the part of the Greens
Responding to that, the Green Party of England and Wales have put out this statement:
“This has been an emotive issue and is complex. It has rightly caused much discussion, and needs to be taken in the context that Israel’s behaviour has had. Israel has been responsible for a genocide, ethnic cleansing and the killing of children, and we’ve had a political establishment which has not only turned a blind eye but provided support.
Zack has made an unequivocal commitment that no Jewish person will be excluded or denied a voice because they are a member of a synagogue or communal organisation that endorses Zionism.”
One figure in the party said to me that “Zack has created a monster that he either can’t or won’t control.” Plenty in the party are livid.
We expect to get to put some questions to Polanski after the vote – it will be very interesting to see how he answers them, and how, even whether, he can move the party on from the biggest row of his leadership so far.
As for the by-election contest, the Greens sound decidedly less upbeat about the result than Labour do.