Difficult questions for the Greens aren't going awaypublished at 04:42 BST

04:42 BST

Jack Fenwick
Political correspondent at the Holborn and St Pancras by-election

Zack Polanski’s interview with broadcasters this morning is the first time he’s answered questions about the Green party’s new policy declaring that Zionism is racism.

Asked if he agreed with it, Polanski said the displacement of the Palestinian people was racist.

But he still didn’t come down firmly on one side or the other when it comes to the specifics of the motion that Green members backed on Sunday.

Those who were supportive of the motion wanted Polanski to come out and explicitly declare it was now party policy.

Those against it wanted him to distance himself from the motion and make it clear that he didn’t support it.

Polanski will hope that by not doing either he may have taken some of the heat out of the situation.

But there’s a danger from him that he annoys both sides.

He insists he’s staying on as party leader after this defeat, but the difficult questions from inside the Greens aren’t going away.

Image source, Reuters

How Holborn and St Pancras voted in May’s council electionspublished at 04:27 BST

04:27 BST

By Daniel Wainwright

Before this by-election, the most recent vote held in Holborn and St Pancras came in May’s local council elections, which saw Labour lose 17 seats on Camden Council but retain overall control.

Councils and parliamentary constituencies have different boundaries, but we have compiled the vote share for the council wards that make up Holborn and St Pancras.

Labour won the largest share of the vote in the council elections among people in the constituency.

Just under 40% of votes went to Labour for seats on Camden Council, with the Greens on just under 30%.

Across Camden overall, Labour won 30 of the 55 seats, a loss of 17, while the Greens gained 10 seats to reach 11 overall. The Liberal Democrats also increased their seats from four to 10 and the Conservatives stayed on three seats.

But it’s worth bearing in mind that Camden Council has a different voting system to that used tonight.

There is more than one councillor per ward, so people voted for either two or three candidates, depending on where they lived.

Polanski will be under pressure to outline where party can make gains at next electionpublished at 04:21 BST

04:21 BST

Jack Fenwick
Political correspondent at the Holborn and St Pancras by-election

This was always going to be a tall order for the Green Party, but Zack Polanski will nevertheless be disappointed with the result.

A few months ago, when his party was riding high in the polls and Labour had a very unpopular prime minister, he may have had more of a chance.

But the Greens have dipped more recently - and that trend has continued since Andy Burnham became PM.

The Greens say this was evidence of them catching up with Labour. But some of those who had already been quietly asking questions of Polanski may now get louder.

He’ll be under pressure to outline where, if not here, the party hopes to gain seats at the next election.

For Labour, their vote share did go down and there are still questions about whether the party is as popular as it was at the general election two years ago.

But if Andy Burnham’s victory in the Makerfield by-election was evidence that he was able to beat Reform, to Labour’s right, those around the PM will absolutely say this is evidence they can beat the Greens, to Labour’s left too.

Tara Mewawalla
Reporting from the Holborn and St Pancras by-election

Image source, Reuters

A significant amount of Sagal Abdi-Wali’s speech centred on homelessness, opportunities for young people, belonging and diversity.

The message of “hope” was central to her campaign, and reiterated in her victory speech.

“For all people, but especially for young people, I want this to demonstrate that you do not have to surrender your hope to succeed," she said.

Her pride in becoming the first woman to represent Holborn and St Pancras was also clear, and was met with cheers from supporters in the counting venue.

So too was her belief that in Camden “our diversity is a strength”.

“Our cohesion has been too hard won to take for granted,” she added, to audible support from party members.

Susana Mendonca
BBC London

Labour members were jubilant as Camden Council’s leader Sagal Abdi-Wali became Holborn and St Pancras’ latest MP.

She spoke of her “pride and humility” following the legacy of the previous MPs here: Keir Starmer and Frank Dobson.

She said the diversity of the constituency was a strength.

Zack Polanski has said "of course" he will carry on as leader of the Green Party following his loss in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.

The party leader says the Green movement is "so much bigger" than one election, adding: "We are going to build and we are going to grow."

He says many people have expressed their excitement at the party's plans for rent controls, tackling the climate crisis and nationalising Thames Water.

"So many people told me on the doorsteps that they want to give Andy Burnham a chance. Well he's got a chance now, let's see what he does with it."

Image source, PA Media

Abdi-Wali goes on to thank her two predecessors in the seat, Labour MP Frank Dobson and ex-PM Keir Starmer.

She says she is "deeply grateful" for their service and "for the foundations that they've left for the next generation".

"To now have the privilege of taking on that mantle and to do so as the first woman to represent Holborn and St Pancras is an extraordinary honour," she adds.

Turning to policy, she says that homelessness is the issue that drove her into politics and she wants to work with Andy Burnham and the government to "tackle rough sleeping while addressing the wider housing crisis".

She also says she wants to see Thames Water "brought into public ownership".

Concluding her speech, she says that "people need to believe that politics can make their lives better" and she says her campaign gave "people something to believe in".

Sagal Abdi-Wali is now addressing the crowd at Camden Council offices, thanking the returning officer, staff and police.

The newly elected MP thanks her fellow candidates, saying that standing for public office "takes courage" and that she is deeply honoured that the community in Camden has trusted in her to be the next member of parliament.

She says: "Whether you voted for me or not my commitment to this community runs deep."

Abdi-Wali says this moment is deeply personal to her, and says she hopes that people who look like her see themselves reflected.

"This is Camden, and this is Britain," she says.

The Green Party have come second in the by-election, with Zack Polanski receiving 8,928 votes.

Ewan Cameron of the Conservatives follows in third place, having accumulated 1,922 votes.

Image source, PA Media

The Labour Party has won the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, with Sagal Abdi-Wali receiving 12,292 votes.

Candidates are gathered for the result of the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.

We will be bringing you updates here and you can also watch along live on the stream at the top of this page.

Susana Mendonça
BBC London

Zack Polanski just told waiting journalists that he is going to continue as leader of the Green Party.

Tara Mewawalla
Reporting from the Holborn and St Pancras by-election

All eyes are on the podium now as council staff, candidates, party members and journalists wait expectantly for the acting returning officer Jon Rowney to announce the results.

Labour's candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali has also now entered the building and the results could come any moment now.

Labour candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali has been seen arriving at Camden Council offices ahead of tonight's by-election result.

Her arrival comes shortly after the Green Party conceded the contest.

Responding to news of the Green Party conceding in tonight's by-election, Professor John Curtice says the party could still acquire a "very considerable vote".

The politics professor at the University of Strathclyde tells BBC News that while it is "not surprising" the party has conceded, he is intrigued to know whether the Greens are indeed a "close second" as they said they were in their statement.

He adds: "They are still, at least in this kind of constituency, going to represent far more of threat to Labour than historically they have ever managed to achieve before."

Tara Mewawalla
Reporting from the Holborn and St Pancras by-election

This was the scrum of journalists and camera-people awaiting Zack Polanski as he arrived at the count.

He's now putting on his green rosette and laughing while talking to members of his party.

Jack Fenwick
Political correspondent at the Holborn and St Pancras by-election

All the talk earlier was that we could expect a declaration at around 04:00 BST. But that seems to have changed.

Most of the counting around us appears to have finished.

A Labour source tells me it could come within the next half hour. There’s still nothing official, but it doesn’t look as if we’re far away now

Chris Mason
Political editor

The Green Party has conceded in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.

A party spokesman says: "It is clear now we will come a close second in this by-election.

"Taking the fight to Labour in one of its safest seats shows just how far the Greens have come. Voters want us to keep Labour’s feet to the fire on affordable housing, public ownership of water and the climate crisis.

"Greens will be there every single day, holding Labour to account and demanding the change people voted for."

Tara Mewawalla
Reporting from the Holborn and St Pancras by-election

I’ve been speaking to some of the candidates who have been here for most of the evening.

Briony Kapoor for the Rejoin EU Party predicts Labour will win, and Greens will come in second tonight.

She says she is pleased with the prime minister’s recent comments that it is “possible” a future Labour election manifesto could promise a new in-out referendum on the European Union.

Restore’s candidate Tyler Johnson says his party is “the new blue” and is pushing Reform and the Conservative Party towards the right.

He is “optimistic” tonight and says he will be satisfied if his vote share comes close to Reform UK or the Conservative Party.

I also spoke to the leader of the Climate Party earlier, who tells me the party’s decision to run in this by-election is about the direction in which Zack Polanski has taken the Green Party.

Ed Gemmell claims the Green Party are “no longer our cousins” on environmental issues and says his candidate Clare Fischeris here to put a “stake in the ground about climate”.

Liberal Democrats candidate Patrick Stillman doesn’t expect to win tonight but says he is “not measuring success by vote share”.

He says speaking to constituents on the campaign trail told him that British voters “don’t like being told they’ve got two options” and that many he spoke to were “very dissatisfied” with Labour but did not want to vote for the Green Party.

His says his goal with this by-election was to build the party’s base in this constituency “for the future” and he insists that the Liberal Democrats are still relevant despite the growth of the Green Party and Reform UK.