Zack Polanski is dramatically ramping up his campaign in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election with Green members being urged to miss their annual conference to get out campaigning in north London.
The Green Party is planning to flood the constituency in the fiercely-fought contest with hundreds of activists every day up into polling day on October 8.
In a message to party members ahead of its annual conference in Brighton which starts next Friday, it said: “We need hundreds of you on the streets every day, including Saturday 3rd and Sunday 4th of October....
“Winning in Holborn and St Pancras will unlock our future election goals. Now is the time to go all in.”
The message, sent to email lists and WhatsApp groups, added: “Already got a ticket to the conference that weekend.
“Any cancellations will get refunded.
“If you still want to participate but online, you can switch your ticket to an online one, which is cheaper than in person, and vote remotely.”
Amid a backlash from some Green activists over the tone of the message, a party spokesman later added: "This is simply a request, not an instruction.
“Our conference will still be the most democratic of all the political parties and is on course to be the most well-attended we have ever held."
The Greens are seeking to leaflet the whole Holborn and St Pancras constituency on Wednesday.
They have also been trying to win over schoolgate mums worried about their children’s future after the record heatwaves this summer.
Labour is also pouring activists into the constituency for the by-election triggered by Sir Keir Starmer standing down as the local MP.
Party strategists believe their ground forces are outnumbering the Green troops out campaigning.
They say that some voters who deserted the party during Sir Keir’s leadership are now returning to it.
Some people who previously backed the Tories or Liberal Democrats, they added, were considering supporting Labour in an anti-Polanski vote.
Responding to the Greens’ conference message, Beckenham and Penge MP Liam Conlon, Labour’s by-election political lead, said: "Labour campaigners are already out on the doorsteps every day sharing Sagal's (Abdi-Wali) progressive message of hope.”
Bookies have Labour’s candidate Ms Abdi-Wali as the firm favourite to win.
However, political experts are divided over the likelihood of Mr Polanski pulling off a surprise victory, as his party did in the Gorton and Denton by-election in February.
His hopes of a shock win in what was previously a safe Labour seat have been dented by George Galloway’s decision to stand in the contest which risks splitting the Left-leaning, anti-Labour vote.
At the 2024 general election, Labour won the north London constituency with a majority, of 11,572.
Sir Keir gained 18,884 votes, with the Greens far behind in third place with 4,030.
However, indepndent candidate Andrew Feinstein got 7,312 votes.
He has urged his previous backers to support Mr Polanski, which could boost his chances of a strong challenge to Labour and possibly even of victory.
Polls suggest that Labour may have lost around a quarter of its vote in London under Sir Keir’s premiership.
But the party has risen in the polls since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister.
