Sadiq Khan Addresses Zack Polanski in Urdu as Green Party Leader Faces Mockery Over By-Election Video

Sadiq Khan has addressed Green Party leader Zack Polanski in Urdu during a London Assembly session, after the politician was criticised over a campaign video in the language for the upcoming Holborn and St Pancras by-election.

Polanski, who is a member of the London Assembly and the Green Party's candidate for the north London constituency, had released a short video in Urdu encouraging voters to support him in the 8 October contest.

The video attracted criticism from political opponents, who questioned the decision to campaign in a language spoken by relatively few residents in the constituency.

Khan's response came during Mayor's Question Time at City Hall on Thursday, 17 September, when Polanski asked the London mayor about data centres and their potential impact on London's water and energy supplies.

Sadiq Khan Responds in Urdu

Khan initially responded to Polanski's question in English before switching to Urdu during a follow-up. According to a translation provided by Khan's office, the mayor said: 'Peace be upon you. I was worried that you would ask the question in Urdu, but you asked your question in English.'

He then said he would be spending time in Holborn and St Pancras during the by-election campaign and suggested the two could meet there.

Khan later explained his decision to switch languages by saying: 'I thought as the member is so proficient in Urdu that I would speak in Urdu.' He also joked about his own Urdu pronunciation, apologising to Urdu speakers for what he described as his 'Russian accent'.

The exchange prompted laughter from other politicians in the chamber, while Polanski did not appear to share the amusement. He complained that the exchange was taking time away from the issue of the climate crisis, according to reporting from the session.

Why Zack Polanski's Urdu Video Caused Controversy

Polanski's original video was part of his campaign to become the next MP for Holborn and St Pancras, the seat vacated by former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer. In the video, Polanski introduced himself in Urdu and asked voters to support the Green Party.

The decision became a subject of political debate, with critics questioning whether using Urdu was an effective way to communicate with voters in the constituency.

Conservative shadow communities secretary Katie Lam described the approach as 'poisonous' and argued that political campaigning should be conducted in the language of public life. Other politicians also expressed reservations about campaigning in languages other than English.

Polanski and the Greens defended the decision. The party said democracy should not discriminate based on the languages people speak and argued that communicating with voters in their own languages was a way of reaching a diverse electorate.

Green Party Campaigns in Holborn and St Pancras

Polanski was confirmed as the Green candidate for the by-election on 11 September. The election is scheduled for 8 October and follows Starmer's resignation as the constituency's MP. Labour has selected Camden Council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali as its candidate.

The Green leader has sought to build on the party's recent electoral momentum, saying after his selection that the Greens may be underdogs but have momentum in the constituency. The Urdu controversy has now become a feature of the campaign, particularly after Khan used the same language to respond to Polanski at City Hall.

Data Centres and the By-Election Campaign

The original exchange between the two politicians was prompted by Polanski's question about data centres. He asked Khan whether he would block data-centre developments in London if they threatened clean water or energy supplies.

Khan said such developments would only be approved if they were 'clean and sustainable', according to reports of the session.

With the Holborn and St Pancras by-election approaching, the exchange between Khan and Polanski has added another moment of political theatre to a campaign that is attracting attention beyond the constituency.

For Polanski, the controversy has kept his Urdu campaign video in the spotlight. For Khan, the response turned Polanski's Urdu campaign video into the subject of an exchange at City Hall.