Labour has kicked off campaigning in Holborn & St Pancras, with Foreign Secretary Ed Miliband joining local activists on the doorstep as the party prepares for the forthcoming parliamentary by-election.
The Labour Party said it was “hitting the ground running” in the constituency, with campaigners already out speaking to residents and promoting Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s message of hope and renewal.
Posting on X, the party said:
“We’re hitting the ground running in Holborn & St Pancras.”
It added:
“A huge thanks to Ed Miliband for helping us get out Andy Burnham’s message of hope on the doorstep!”
Miliband was pictured alongside local Labour members and campaigners holding Vote Labour placards as the party began its early mobilisation across Camden.
The campaign comes as Labour moves through the process of selecting its candidate for the by-election, following the opening of applications earlier this week. The vacancy follows Sir Keir Starmer standing down as the constituency’s MP on 1 September.
Under the timetable agreed by Labour’s NEC officers, the longlisting process is due to be followed by shortlisting interviews on Monday 7 September, with the final hustings and selection meeting taking place on Wednesday 9 September.
The early doorstep activity signals that Labour is not waiting for the selection process to conclude before beginning its campaign to retain the seat.
Holborn & St Pancras has long been a high-profile Labour constituency, and the by-election is expected to attract significant political attention.
Labour’s campaign is likely to focus heavily on the early record of the Burnham Government, including action on housing, rough sleeping, the cost of living, public services and shifting power away from Westminster and towards local communities.
The party’s emphasis on Burnham’s “message of hope” reflects the Prime Minister’s wider argument that his Government should be judged not only by individual policy changes but by whether it can restore confidence that politics can improve people’s lives.
With senior Labour figures already joining local activists, the party is seeking to demonstrate organisation and momentum from the outset.
The next major moment will come when Labour members learn who has progressed through the selection process — after which the successful candidate will inherit a campaign already well underway on the streets of Holborn & St Pancras.
