In the Holborn & St Pancras by-election, a contest to replace Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, political parties are actively courting Muslim voters, with campaigning taking place outside mosques and community centers in Euston. The race has drawn attention for its focus on issues related to Palestine and Israel, as well as personal and identity-driven attacks, making it one of the more unusual recent elections in the area.
On Fridays, candidates and their campaigners distribute literature to worshippers leaving the ShahJalal Jame Masjid, as well as at the nearby Euston Muslim Community Centre. The Green Party and the Workers Party have been particularly visible in these efforts. The Green Party’s Zack Polanski, who leads the party locally, features Palestinian symbolism prominently on campaign materials, which include endorsements from groups such as the Muslim Vote and Camden Muslim Alliance.
Polanski’s platform includes calls for boycott, divestment, and sanctions against Israel and criticism of Labour’s immigration policies, with leaflets translated into several community languages. The Workers Party candidate, George Galloway, has accused Polanski, who is Jewish, of opposing a Green motion that labeled Zionism as racist. Galloway’s campaign literature emphasizes a staunchly pro-Palestinian stance, proclaiming “No to Zionism” and “one state Palestine.”
Locals such as Mohamed, a worshipper leaving the mosque, expressed frustration with the focus on international issues. “I’d rather they focus on local things,” he said, highlighting concerns common among residents about housing affordability and construction related to the HS2 rail project.
Labour candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali, a Somali refugee who has risen through Camden politics to become council leader, has faced intense personal scrutiny in the campaign. Green Party figures have been accused of using her religion and ethnicity to question her positions on Gaza. Leaflets circulated by Muslim Vote have drawn contrasts between Polanski and Abdi-Wali, using terms such as “anti-Zionist” for Polanski and labeling Abdi-Wali as “Starmer’s pro-genocide candidate.” The Jewish Labour councillor Izzy Lenga, who nominated Abdi-Wali for council leadership and was vice-chairwoman of the Jewish Labour Movement, has also been targeted due to her participation in an Israel Defence Forces training programme.
Andrew Feinstein, who previously ran against Starmer and supports Polanski, has been prominent in highlighting Abdi-Wali’s association with Lenga, a connection questioned by some in the campaign. Both Feinstein and campaign strategist Paul Holden denied that criticism of Abdi-Wali was based on personal or sexist attacks, stating that their concerns were political. Labour officials have condemned personal attacks against Abdi-Wali, pointing out that much of the negative attention has focused on female candidates.
The involvement of groups such as the Camden Muslim Alliance has added complexity. The group’s social media presence was established shortly before endorsing Polanski, raising questions about its origins. Abdi-Wali’s absence from a hustings organized by the Camden Muslim Network, where Green and Liberal Democrat candidates attended, further intensified tensions, with Labour sources describing the environment as hostile and expressing concerns for the candidate’s safety.
Former Labour MP Emma Dent Coad had planned a housing-focused hustings that ultimately did not take place. She later appeared on a Green Party leaflet endorsing their campaign, though she said she was not affiliated when organizing the event and had only received participation from Green and Liberal Democrat candidates.
Polanski has faced criticism as well, including a contentious exchange at a Board of Deputies of British Jews hustings, where his anti-Zionist stance was met with opposition.
Despite the campaign’s emphasis on Middle East issues, many voters emphasized local concerns. Housing costs and the impact of HS2 construction remain pressing issues for residents of the constituency. A Labour spokesman described their campaign as positive but acknowledged disappointing remarks from opponents, particularly online. The Green Party highlighted its efforts to engage voters on local topics such as leasehold reform, high rents, HS2, and crime.
Requests for comment from Muslim Vote, Camden Muslim Network, and Camden Muslim Alliance were not immediately answered.