Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has poked fun at Zack Polanski by responding to a question from him in Urdu, a language the Green Party leader recently used in a campaign video for his bid to become an MP.
Mr Polanski spoke Urdu, the national language of Pakistan, in a video as part of his campaign to be the next MP for Holborn and St Pancras, the constituency where ex-prime minister Sir Keir Starmer stood down.
The Green Party leader is standing against a field of 14 other candidates, including Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali, the leader of Camden Council.
The Mayor responds to Zack Polanski in Urdu pic.twitter.com/JHrt0t07rd
— Kumail Jaffer (@Kumail_Jaffer) September 17, 2026
Making his first appearance at Mayor’s Question Time in the London Assembly since he was confirmed at the Green candidate in the by-election, Mr Polanski asked Lord Khan a question about data centres.
The Labour mayor then replied in Urdu in a nod to the Green Party campaign video.
According to a translation, provided by Lord Khan’s office, he said: “Peace be upon you. I was worried that you would ask the question in Urdu, but you asked your question in English.
“I’ll be spending time in Holborn and St Pancras this week and I’m going to be there. Maybe we will meet there.”
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