Zack Polanski has pleaded for votes in Bengali - just days after he was mocked for trying to persuade the electorate in Urdu and French.The Green Party leader has stepped up his campaign to become an MP ahead of the Holborn and St Pancras by-election on October 8.Mr Polanski, currently member of the London Assembly, is pinning his hopes on the north London constituency, where former prime minister Keir Starmer served as MP until his resignation.The seat has been a Labour stronghold since it was created 43 years ago. Mr Polanski was previously lampooned after he released a video in Urdu encouraging local residents to vote for him - despite official figures showing just 156 voters in the constituency spoke the language. Urdu is spoken primarily in Pakistan and India, but just three per cent of the population of Holborn and St Pancras are Indian, and less than one per cent are Pakistani.Last week Polanski changed tactic and released a campaign video in French appealing for people to 'votez pour les verts' next month.Figures from the 2021 census show 2,488 people denoted French as their main language in the constituency. Zack Polanski has pleaded for votes in Bengali - just days after he was mocked for trying to persuade the electorate in Urdu and French Zack Polanski is seen on Saturday on the campaign trail ahead of the by-election next monthBut the release of his latest video in Bengali, the official language of Bangladesh, could prove more successful than his other multi-lingual attempts - with 3,471 individuals living in Holborn and St Pancras listing it as their main language. In the short clip released on his Instagram, filmed in a restaurant, the Green Party leader said: '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 8th October.'Mr Polanski was formerly accused of 'poisonous' practices by campaigning in a foreign language.Following the release of his Urdu campaign video, Tory local government spokesman Katie Lam tweeted: 'Here's the leader of the Green Party, campaigning in Urdu. 'Attempting to appeal to group-based grievances by campaigning in foreign languages is poisonous. We must ban this practice for good. Politics in our country should be conducted in the language of public life.'And shadow work and pensions secretary Helen Whately told Times Radio: 'I'm concerned to see this campaigning in other languages. Politicians should be campaigning in the languages of the United Kingdom. So for instance in London, I'd be expecting the candidates to be campaigning in English, not in other languages.' His attempt at speaking in Urdu was even mocked by London Mayor Sadiq Khan, who answered a question posed by him to the London Assembly in Urdu. 'I thought as the member is so proficient in Urdu that I would speak in Urdu,' Lord Khan said, after he used the language to reply to Mr Polanski at Mayor's Question Time on Thursday. The Labour politician added: 'I was worried the question may be in Urdu. And for those Urdu speakers, I apologise if I spoke with a Russian accent.' Sir Keir resigned as MP for Holborn and St Pancras at the beginning of this month, despite him having previously said he would stay in the Commons until the next UK general election, which is not due until 2029.Mr Polanski is hoping to build on the Greens' momentum from the May local elections, which saw the party placed second behind Labour in council wards within the constituency.Join the discussionDo politicians using other languages help them connect with voters?What's your view? Mr Polanski was mocked for releasing a video in Urdu - despite census records showing only 156 people in the constituency listed it as their main language The Green leader produced a campaign video in French to 'votez pour les verts' on October 8 He is likely to be the most serious electoral threat to Labour's dominance in the seat, which the party has held since it was created in 1983.A Green Party spokesman told the Daily Mail: 'Greens believe that democracy speaks many languages. 'Holborn and St Pancras reflects the diversity of London and of our country, where many people are bilingual. 'We choose to embrace and celebrate that, and we're proud to reach voters in as many languages as possible.'
Zack Polanski has been hitting Duolingo again! Green Party leader issues new election message in Bengali after being mocked for his attempts at Urdu and French
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