The Green Party leader has faced fresh criticism after releasing a Bengali-language campaign video for the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, just days after a similar Urdu video drew mockery from London Mayor Sadiq Khan and calls from the Conservatives for foreign languages to be banned from political campaigning.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski has provoked a fresh controversy after releasing a campaign video in Bengali, just days after facing criticism for a similar video in Urdu. Polanski is standing in the by-election to replace Sir Keir Starmer as MP for Holborn and St Pancras, a contest scheduled for 8 October. Camden Council data lists Bengali, alongside French and Spanish, among the most widely spoken languages in the borough. Polanski’s latest move follows sustained scrutiny of his campaign tactics, after his earlier attempts to address voters in foreign languages drew both mockery and political criticism.
The Bengali campaign video
In the video, shared online, Polanski told voters in Bengali: “I’m Zack Polanski and I’m standing to be the MP for Holborn and St Pancras. The Green Party has forced Labour to change some of their most unpopular policies. Vote Green on October 8.” The video marks the latest in a series of foreign-language appeals from the Greens leader during the by-election campaign.
Urdu and French attempts drew scrutiny
Last week, Polanski released a video addressing voters in Urdu, and separately attempted to speak French, though subsequent analysis found his French message contained numerous spelling and grammatical errors. His Urdu video attracted particular criticism after London Mayor Sadiq Khan publicly mocked the tactic during a London Assembly session.
During the session, Polanski had questioned Khan in English on the use of clean water and energy supplies by Britain’s data centres, asking: “Clean energy and water is essential for Londoners. We know that the climate crisis is getting worse, we’ve seen the heatwaves and the deaths we’ve had this summer, nearly 3,000 people estimated by the Health Security Agency. We also know that the water industry bodies have said they’re concerned about the use of water, and also when we look at one data centre of one gigawatts, it could use as much electricity as two million homes. So my question is, would you be prepared to say no to a data centre if it didn’t secure clean water and energy supply?”
Khan responded by greeting Polanski with “as-salamu alaykum” before answering the question entirely in Urdu, prompting laughter in the chamber. Turning to the Assembly Chair, Khan then reverted to English, saying: “Well, I thought, Chair, that as the member is so proficient in Urdu, I would speak in Urdu.” The Chair subsequently praised the Mayor’s “good pronunciation.”
Political criticism over language tactics
Beyond the mockery, Polanski’s use of foreign languages during the campaign has prompted a more serious political debate. Shadow Housing Secretary Katie Lam accused the Green leader of using “poisonous” campaign methods, and called for a permanent ban on the use of foreign languages in political campaigning. “Politics in our country should be conducted in the language of public life,” she said.
According to 2021 census data, only 256 people in the borough of Camden, where Holborn and St Pancras is located, speak Urdu as their main language.
Full list of candidates
The following candidates are standing in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election:
- Sagal Abdi-Wali – Labour
- Barmy Brunch – Official Monster Raving Loony Party
- Ewan Cameron – The Conservative Party
- Tom Darwood – Independent
- Clare Fischer – Climate Party
- George Galloway – Workers Party
- Tyler Kurtis Johnson – Restore Britain
- Briony Anne Lonbay Kapoor – Rejoin EU
- Peter Newman – Reform UK
- Ketankumar Pipaliya – UK VOICE Safer and Stronger UK
- Zack Polanski – The Green Party
- Jonathan Silberman – Communist League
- Helen Spiby-Vann – Christian Peoples Alliance
- Patrick Thomas Stillman – Liberal Democrats
- Ben Walker – UKIP
