Zack Polanski and Sagal Abdi-Wali have launched their by-election campaigns in Holborn and St Pancras

GREEN Party leader Zack Polanski said he had full solidarity with people facing racism – including his by-election opponent – but questioned Labour’s policies on refugees and migrants.

As the frontrunners began their campaigns ahead of the contest in Holborn and St Pancras, the New Journal asked Mr Polanski what he would say to people who were thinking of voting Labour to send a message to Reform and others.

Labour’s candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali was targeted in a tweet by Reform’s home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf, who said: “The frontrunner being foisted on the people of Holborn by Labour to replace the former prime minister Keir Starmer in our parliament was born in Somalia. Do you understand what’s happening?”

Ms Abdi-Wali, who came to London as a child refugee from Somalia in the 1990s, has since faced a torrent of racist images and comments.

Mr Polanski told the New Journal: “I think the first thing is to show unconditional solidarity – Zia Yusuf’s comments were despicable. We are a country that stands against racism and we know in a constituency like this that celebrates the diversity that we have.

“Second, I think separate to that, is to talk about what’s on the ballot paper at this election and what we’ve had is this Labour majority where we had a prime minister who called us an ‘island of strangers’ previously.

“Now in Andy Burnham it looks like we’re maybe moving in a more positive direction but we still have a home secretary in Shabana Mahmood who is still making life incredibly difficult for so many immigrants in this country and refugees.

“People are scared and worried right now, so I think this isn’t about the personality of the candidates. I think this is about what is the actual policy and how we’re going to make life easier for people in this country and create a politics that represents the compassion and solidarity that so many people across this constituency have.

“Every single day during this election I will stand with any candidate who is facing abusive attacks and at the same time put forward Green Party policies that are going to make life easier for everyone in this country and in this constituency.”

It is understood that Labour canvassers are finding residents telling them that, even though they had concerns about the government’s performance, they did not want Mr Yusuf to feel like he could get away with the comments.

Ms Abdi-Wali, speaking to the New Journal after her own campaign launch on Saturday, said she would be disappointed if there were “caveats” from other parties to the anti-racism solidarity.

“I think he [Mr Polanski] needs to look at what I’ve stood for all my life,” she said.

“And I hope that solidarity doesn’t come along with a caveat, from anyone. I’ve appreciated support from so many people from across the political spectrum – I had the leader of the Lib Dems in Camden reach out to me about it and show solidarity – without anything else to say.”

Ms Abdi-Wali, the Labour leader of Camden Council, said she would not be broken by Mr Yusuf’s attacks or any of the online abuse directed at her.

“I don’t really put much value or listen to stuff like that when it’s about me but I do think quite deeply about how it would affect the wider conversation and the discourse around the country and what it means to a young person who’s paying attention to all of that and how much it might affect them,” she said.

“I’ve been thinking about that this week and part of the reason I’m really motivated to stand and make sure that we’re sending a message back, which is what so, so many people have said to me, have written to me, have emailed me about, have stopped me in the street saying.

“I know for a fact it’s [the abuse] not the values that Britain has and Camden especially doesn’t have. I think it’s our opportunity to send a message back.”

The New Journal will publish a full list of candidates for the October 8 by-election once the deadline for applicants has passed and the final ballot paper names are all known.