Zack Polanski has just finished his leader’s speech at the Green party conference in Brighton. It has been an extraordinary 12 months for his party, which shot up like a rocket at the beginning of the year, winning the Gorton and Denton by-election. But gravity is now taking its toll and Polanski’s ratings have plummeted. His stance on the Golders Green attack in May can be likened to Jeremy Corbyn’s remarks on the Skripal poisonings in 2018, an ill-advised intervention that turned off countless potential voters. After Keir Starmer was succeeded by Andy Burnham in July, Polanski announced he would fight the contest for Starmer’s north London seat. That by-election, due to be held next Thursday, was the basis of Polanski’s pitch this afternoon.

His entire speech could be summed up in four words – ‘Holborn and St Pancras’ – yet, bizarrely, he could not mention the actual constituency

His entire speech could be summed up in four words – ‘Holborn and St Pancras’ – yet, bizarrely, he could not mention the actual constituency

Unfortunately for the........

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