Polanski ‘tempted’ to challenge Starmer for parliamentary seat

Zack Polanski has said it would be “tempting” to challenge Sir Keir Starmer for his parliamentary seat.

Green Party leader Mr Polanski, who is a member of the London Assembly but not an MP, was asked about a poll that suggested his party could take the Prime Minister’s Holborn and St Pancras seat and whether he would be interested in taking him on.

“It would be very tempting to take Keir Starmer down,” he told the BBC’s Sunday With Laura Kuenssberg programme.

“But actually what I’m doing right now is really focusing on, right across England and Wales, growing the Green Party.

“We’ve just hit 175,000 members.”

The party has seen a membership surge, with more than 100,000 people joining since the self-described eco-populist took the reins at the beginning of September.

He said: “I’m tempted to take on any Labour MP that’s a disaster, and ultimately replace them with a better MP who will stand for people and planet, rather than vested interests.”

The Green Party secured a defection from Labour this week, with former MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle joining.

The former Brighton Kemptown MP, who did not stand in the 2024 election, said Labour has “left behind” millions of people who want to see change.