Labour sees off Green challenge to win Holborn by-election

Labour has won the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, seeing off a challenge from Green Party leader Zack Polanski.

Camden council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali held the north London seat for Labour, but the party's majority was reduced from 11,572 to 3,364.

At a victory rally, Abdi-Wali told supporters: "People voted for hope and now we're going to be able to deliver for them."

The by-election, which was triggered after former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stood down as an MP, had been seen as a key test of whether Labour under Andy Burnham can win over voters who have switched to the Greens.

Speaking to BBC Breakfast after his defeat, Polanski said the result proved his party was "more of an electoral threat in these seats than we've ever been before".

"This is the foundation we're looking to build on," he added.

He insisted he would stay on as leader despite the result. Polanski is under pressure over his response to a policy motion passed by members at his party's conference that declared Zionism a form of racism.

Chris Mason: Polanski faces greatest crisis of his leadership so far