Zack Polanski: Extreme heat this summer was terrifying - vote for me will force Government to act

I’ve knocked on hundreds of doors over the last few weeks. It’s been amazing spending so much time on the streets of Holborn and St Pancras, a place I love, hearing from people about the things that matter to them.

A few things come up time and time again. From terraced housing to estates, parents open the doors and say to me ‘I’ve still got my kids living at home with me.’

The shortage of housing, and the sky-high cost of rents, is putting young people’s lives on hold.

Too many young families are being forced to choose between moving out of the city they love, or giving up on their dream of having kids.

That makes me desperately sad because I can see how much people love this place – just like I do.

I’m standing to be the next MP for Holborn and St Pancras because we need action from the government to tackle issues like the high cost of housing.

Last week, I called on the government to introduce an emergency brake on rents to stop them rising beyond what people can afford.

So many of the people I speak to here tell me they’ve voted Labour in the past – but this time, they’re voting Green to elect an independent local MP who will fight for their communities and keep the Labour government in check.

When my party won a by-election in Gorton and Denton in February, electing the brilliant Hannah Spencer – and then won big across London in the local elections in May – that made a huge difference.

It forced the Labour government to give up on some of their most unpopular policies, and start moving in the right direction on others.

This by-election is special – because it will send a clear message to the government about what people really want.

When I knock on doors here, people tell me they’re so worried about what the future will look like for their children.

The extreme heat this summer was terrifying – we need the government to take action to keep people safe in the future.

But this government was planning to give the go-ahead to new drilling for oil and gas, which we know will create a more dangerous climate.

The only thing that stopped them? They were scared of losing votes to the Greens in this by-election – so they’ve delayed that vital decision until after this election is over.

If Labour wins, that sends a signal that they don’t have to worry about caring about the climate, or what our communities need.

But if I win, that will keep Labour in check and make sure they act on the things that matter to Holborn and St Pancras: affordable housing, safe communities, and securing a safe future for our children.

:: Zack Polanksi is Green Party leader and candidate for the Holborn and St Pancras by-election on Thursday, October 8.