Key facts
- Zack Polanski requested the Green Party postpone its annual conference to focus on the Holborn and St Pancras byelection.
- The party's ruling executive committee refused the request.
- The Greens' annual conference is scheduled to begin on October 2 in Brighton.
- The Holborn and St Pancras byelection, where Polanski is a candidate, takes place on October 8.
- A contentious policy motion on Zionism is set to be debated at the conference.
Zack Polanski, a candidate in the upcoming Holborn and St Pancras byelection, had requested that the Green Party postpone its annual conference, scheduled to begin on October 2, to allow for a greater focus on his campaign. The party's ruling executive committee, comprising about 25 voting members including Polanski, voted against the proposal on Thursday. Party officials stated that the request stemmed from concerns about diluting resources by holding a conference just a week before the byelection. The conference, expected to draw around 3,000 attendees, is set to be the party's largest gathering. Canceling the event at short notice would have incurred significant costs due to venue rental and could have upset members who had already made travel and accommodation arrangements. The byelection, for a traditionally safe Labour seat formerly held by Keir Starmer, takes place on October 8. The final weekend of the byelection campaign typically involves extensive voter canvassing, which would be complicated by the presence of thousands of the party's most active members at a conference elsewhere. Some party members have also speculated that Polanski might have preferred the conference, and a vote on a contentious motion regarding Zionism, to occur after the byelection. This motion, which equates Zionism with racism and calls for a single Palestinian state, is expected to be debated and potentially passed, posing a challenge for members who support Zionism and potentially alienating Jewish supporters. Polanski, who is Jewish, has not publicly stated his position on the motion but is understood to favor amendments that would soften its language. A Green party spokesperson confirmed that the party explored resource allocation options for the byelection campaign and conference, but remains committed to both. "After discussion we remain committed to running an incredibly ambitious Holborn and St Pancras byelection campaign and holding what will be our biggest ever party conference," the spokesperson said.