In 2024, the war in Gaza was a major issue that pushed voters away from Labour. Burnham has said that the party’s position under Starmer was wrong, and is taking a stronger stance against the Israeli government. Restrictions on buying goods made in Jewish settlements in the Israeli-occupied West Bank were announced Tuesday.
The battle lines
The by-election might become a battle of competing national visions. Green supporters argue that Burnham will be prime minister regardless of the outcome, and that having Polanski as an MP will add to pressure on the government in parliament from the left.
Meanwhile, Labour is selling Burnham’s vision for the future. “We can go out in this by-election and really talk with pride about what Andy’s new government in doing,” Miliband told campaigners last weekend. “He has a big argument about how the country needs to change; now it’s up to us in Holborn and St. Pancras to win back the progressive voters.”
Abdi-Wali told the Camden New Journal in August that she thought Starmer should not step down as MP and described him as “really inspirational.”
The constituency faces a number of specific local challenges. Despite this area of north London often being associated with liberal elite circles, the area is grappling with a housing crisis, high levels of deprivation, and more than a decade of chaos from the stalled HS2 project.
Candidates will have to explain on the doorstep how they would change any of this if elected. Those details may emerge in coming weeks, and crucially during a hustings. But for now, it seems the first stage of battle will be over who can sell the most convincing message of hope.