Polls open in Holborn and St Pancras byelection – UK politics live

Voters choosing replacement for Keir Starmer, who announced he was standing down last month

Key events5m agoBritish consulate in East Jerusalem will stay open as UK mission, says Ed Miliband32m agoVoters go to the polls in Holborn and St Pancras byelection A dog is led out of a polling station in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty ImagesView image in fullscreenA dog is led out of a polling station in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty ImagesFrom 32m agoGood morning and welcome to our UK politics live blog.

Polls have opened in Keir Starmer’s old seat in Holborn and St Pancras, where the Green party leader, Zack Polanski, is hoping to break Labour’s longstanding grip in the north London constituency.

A dog is led towards a polling station as voting begins in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty ImagesHe might have his work cut out for him. Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali is projected to retain the seat in today’s byelection, but the party shouldn’t take victory for granted. As the Guardian’s senior political correspondent, Peter Walker, reports, Polanski has mounted an intensive campaign, but the scale of the challenge is clear from the numbers. Starmer won the seat by 11,500 votes in 2024, after Labour majorities of nearly 28,000 in 2019 and more than 30,500 in 2017.

You can read Peter’s report from this morning here:

Andy Burnham is in Berlin today where he will hold meetings with German chancellor Friedrich Merz. On the agenda is a new joint security partnership to counter sabotage, cyber-attacks and other hybrid threats, as well as support for Ukraine, instability in the Middle East, and disruption to global trade routes. We’re expecting to hear from the prime minister this afternoon.

The diplomatic row between Britain and Israel is escalating over the UK’s consular presence in East Jerusalem. Israel said the British consulate has “ceased to function” with 20 diplomats due to leave, but the foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, said the building will remain open and renamed the “UK Mission”.

Key events5m agoBritish consulate in East Jerusalem will stay open as UK mission, says Ed Miliband32m agoVoters go to the polls in Holborn and St Pancras byelectionThe foreign secretary, ⁠Ed Miliband, has said Britain’s consulate general ⁠building in ⁠East Jerusalem ​will not be closing but will ⁠be known as a UK mission, remaining independent, operational ⁠and serving Palestinian people.

Israel had ​ordered the ‌British consulate ‌in East Jerusalem to close ‌on Thursday over the UK’s plans to impose sanctions on settlements in the West Bank.

Miliband said that having ‌withdrawn a number of staff and families in recent ​weeks, it would now work to build up its presence.

View image in fullscreenBarricades block the main road leading to British consulate in East Jerusalem after the sign outside the building was taken down. Photograph: Mahmoud Illean/APHe said Britain would ⁠not take any reciprocal action ​against Israel ​while the ​two sides engaged in ​talks, ‌following speculation it ​could expel some Israeli diplomats from Britain.

Diplomats from other western countries had been worried about any closure setting a precedent, and suggested Britain had to respond strongly to the Israeli move because it had implications beyond the immediate dispute.

View image in fullscreenAn employee wheels a rubbish bin as journalists wait outside the British consulate. Photograph: John Wessels/AFP/Getty ImagesThe consulate is separate from the UK embassy, based in Tel Aviv, and has a distinct diplomatic role, covering East Jerusalem, the rest of the West Bank and Gaza, where it provides consular services to Palestinians.

Israel had threatened to close it in protest at the UK’s decision to ban trade in goods from illegal Israeli settlements in the occupied West Bank. Israel’s foreign minister, Gideon Sa’ar, said Britain’s ‌decision to impose sanctions was “morally distorted” and accused the governing Labour party of being hostile towards his country.

Read moreThe French finance minister, Roland Lescure, said the UK could rejoin the EU “anytime” after Andy Burnham indicated a major review of Britain’s relationship with the bloc.

Lescure said it was up to the British public whether to return to the EU, telling the BBC that “if they’re willing to come back, they will have to decide”.

“But what I can tell them is: come back, anytime,” he added. Ben Quinn has the full report here.

View image in fullscreenFrance’s finance minister Roland Lescure said the UK should rejoin the EU ‘anytime’. Photograph: Kenzo Tribouillard/AFP/Getty ImagesAs our political correspondent Aletha Adu reported last week, the prime minister opened the door to the UK rejoining the EU, saying Britain could “go all the way” as he prepares to reconsider Labour’s post-Brexit red lines.

Read moreGood morning and welcome to our UK politics live blog.

Polls have opened in Keir Starmer’s old seat in Holborn and St Pancras, where the Green party leader, Zack Polanski, is hoping to break Labour’s longstanding grip in the north London constituency.

View image in fullscreenA dog is led towards a polling station as voting begins in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection. Photograph: Leon Neal/Getty ImagesHe might have his work cut out for him. Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali is projected to retain the seat in today’s byelection, but the party shouldn’t take victory for granted. As the Guardian’s senior political correspondent, Peter Walker, reports, Polanski has mounted an intensive campaign, but the scale of the challenge is clear from the numbers. Starmer won the seat by 11,500 votes in 2024, after Labour majorities of nearly 28,000 in 2019 and more than 30,500 in 2017.

You can read Peter’s report from this morning here:

Andy Burnham is in Berlin today where he will hold meetings with German chancellor Friedrich Merz. On the agenda is a new joint security partnership to counter sabotage, cyber-attacks and other hybrid threats, as well as support for Ukraine, instability in the Middle East, and disruption to global trade routes. We’re expecting to hear from the prime minister this afternoon.

The diplomatic row between Britain and Israel is escalating over the UK’s consular presence in East Jerusalem. Israel said the British consulate has “ceased to function” with 20 diplomats due to leave, but the foreign secretary, Ed Miliband, said the building will remain open and renamed the “UK Mission”.