Labour and Greens push for Muslim voters' support in London by-election

Keir Starmer's decision to step down from his role as an MP has left Labour facing potential loss of a key London constituency in a by-election set for October 8. The seat of Holborn and St Pancras is currently held by Labour, but tensions are mounting between the party and the Green Party as they vie for Muslim voters. Police have warned of escalating tensions between canvassers and protesters in the area, where a housing estate in the Camden neighborhood will be the site of the by-election.

Labour and Green campaigners have gathered outside the Al Rahman Mosque, drawing heckles from a resident who expressed support for the Green Party due to the Labour party's stance on the Israel-Gaza conflict. The Green Party is leading the charge to galvanise Muslim voters, with Zack Polanski, their candidate, focusing on the Palestinian issue.

Labour's candidate, Sagal Abdi-Wali, is a refugee from Somalia and the leader of the Camden council, and she could be the first British-Somali MP from the party. However, her campaign has faced opposition from the Green Party, who have endorsed her opponent and criticized her lack of engagement with the Somali and Bengali communities.

The Green Party has also passed a motion that rejects a two-state solution and calls for Israel to be replaced by a Palestinian state, drawing criticism from Jewish groups and leading to tensions with local residents. Despite the divisions, Abdi-Wali has focused her campaign on local issues, including a recent flooding incident that affected local businesses.