Zack Polanski has been chosen to challenge Labour for Sir Keir Starmer‘s former Commons seat. 

The populist Green leader was unveiled as the party’s candidate for the October 8 Holborn and St Pancras by-election this morning.

He was picked ahead of local councillor Hamza Chowdhury, who ran against him  with a blast at ‘famous’ candidates being parachuted in to fight for seats and then disappearing.

Mr Polanski, who has said he will commute to Holborn from his home in trendy east London if he wins, will take on Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali in a vote triggered by former prime minister Sir Keir’s departure from Parliament. 

The seat has been held by Labour since it was created in 1983, but the Greens are confident they have a real chance of taking it.

Coming on stage after a speech by Green MP Hannah Spencer he admitted he was already close to tears, and went on to say: ‘We have the momentum and we can win.’

He also said he hoped his win would push Andy Burnham’s Labour government further to the left.

Mr Polanski will take on Labour’s Camden Council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali in a vote triggered by former prime minister Sir Keir’s departure from Parliament

‘We know that if there’s just another Labor MP that adds to Andy Burnham’s majority, he will see that as evidence that he’s completely on the right track and tinkering around the edges is what people are calling for,’ he said.

‘You can give Andy Burnham a chance and vote Green in this election, because ultimately by sending a Green MP to Parliament who will work with him constructively to challenge him on the gaps in his plans, to push him in the direction, and to keep the pressure on in the way that we already have done, we will have a better government, we’ll have a better country, and for the people of Holborn and St Pancras, it follows that they will have a better life.’

He also shared his solidarity with Ms Abdi-Wali, a former child refugee born in Somalia, after ‘despicable’ criticism of her background by Reform’s Zia Yusuf on X.

‘Every single day during this election, I will stand with any candidate who is facing abusive attacks and at the same time put forward Green Party policies that are going to make life easier for everyone in this country and in this constituency,’ he told reporters.

Ms Spencer said local party members ‘overwhelmingly’ chose London Assembly member Mr Polanski over Mr Chowdhury for the nomination. 

The by-election will provide an early test of Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s popularity with the public.

The Greens are likely to pose the greatest threat to Labour in the contest, but there is also much at stake for Mr Polanski’s party.

Support for the Greens surged in his first year as leader but the party’s national polling has dipped since Mr Burnham replaced Sir Keir in Downing Street.

Mr Polanski, a London Assembly member, has previously said he was ‘excited’ by the prospect of winning the seat and entering the Commons.

He dismissed suggestions from rival Mr Chowdhury that the constituency did not need ‘another MP who arrives during an election campaign’ then ‘disappears once the votes are counted’.

MP Hannah Spencer (second from right) said local party members ‘overwhelmingly’ chose London Assembly member Mr Polanski over Mr Chowdhury for the nomination

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‘I think the local party already knows that doesn’t describe me at all. It’s a place that I know very, very well,’ Mr Polanski said on Wednesday.

‘I’m excited for this campaign because I think the Green Party and I have a real story to tell and I’m confident, but not complacent, I’ll be out there campaigning for every vote, that it’s a message that will resonate with people in Holborn and St Pancras.’

Ms Abdi-Wali, who has led Camden Council since May this year and been a councillor for Camden Square since 2022, will seek to retain the seat for Labour.

Mr Burnham visited the constituency on Thursday to support Ms Abdi-Wali on her first day of campaigning, she said in an X post.

Only two Labour MPs have ever represented Holborn and St Pancras: former health secretary Frank Dobson, from 1983 to 2015, then Sir Keir.

At the most recent general election in 2024, Sir Keir held the seat with 48.9 per cent of the vote, ahead of independent candidate Andrew Feinstein in second place on 18.9 per cent and the Greens in third on 10.4 per cent.

The Conservatives came fourth on 7.2 per cent, Reform finished fifth on 6.1 per cent and the Liberal Democrats were sixth on 5.8 per cent.

The popularity of the independent and Green candidates at the 2024 contest, finishing second and third respectively, may have been partly down to former Labour voters protesting against Sir Keir’s refusal to take a stronger position on Israel’s actions in Gaza in the war with Hamas.

The Green Party also made gains in the May local elections in the London Borough of Camden, the local authority that covers the constituency.

Government chief whip Anneliese Midgley moved the writ in the House of Commons on Monday, officially triggering the by-election.

Sir Keir revealed his plans to leave Parliament earlier this month, saying he felt it was the ‘right time’ to step down and focus on new work on international affairs.

MP Liam Conlon  Labour’s by-election political lead, said: ‘Only Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali is rooted in this community and has a proven track record of delivering for Camden. She has spent 20 years volunteering across this area, and taken action to improve housing and support for young families as council leader.

‘Labour will run a positive campaign that brings people together and gives them hope. We look forward to joining hundreds of campaigners on the doorsteps to get Sagal elected as the progressive local voice that Holborn and St Pancras deserves.’

Rhys Whittock has a special reason for wanting the Duke of Sussex back

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A Cardiff-born estate agent says he is very happy that Prince Harry is back in the UK because it means he is likely to get more work. Rhys Whittock started working as a Duke of Sussex lookalike when Harry and Meghan announced their engagement in 2017, and he describes it as ‘the best job in the world’.

But he feared it was the end when Harry and Meghan moved to the USA. Rhys told Heart Bingo: “Initially I thought, ‘Oh, this is an amazing job, and it’s all going to finish.’ But when Harry started doing deals with Netflix, Spotify, and that Oprah Winfrey interview, I got bookings.

“I had to do reenactment shots for a TV show and Prince Harry’s book ‘Spare’ kept me incredibly busy. There were a few things that did make work go quiet, mainly because Harry did leave the UK. Then COVID hit, and that really killed events completely for a couple of years.

“The other thing that was really detrimental to being busy was the passing of the Queen. She was the most popular royal for people outside of the UK, and everyone really looked up to her.”

Rhys now looks forward to being busier again. He said: “I think the announcement caught everyone by surprise. I am very pleased to hear that they’re back.

“It is now believable that you could bump into them at an event. I think they obviously want to keep their privacy pretty tight, but I’m sure we’re going to see Harry going to events and enquiries for me have been coming in. Personally, I think it’s been quite clear that he really loved growing up in the UK.

“He loves his country, and there are multiple reasons why I think he came back. He is keen for his family to grow up here, and he seems to want to reconcile with everyone, but it was always going to be tricky with an ocean between you.”

The Duke of Sussex’s first “public engagements” since his return to the UK have been announced, with Harry set to lead a run of charity events this month. Harry will attend the inaugural Invictus Spirit Awards and the launch of the Invictus education programme INSPIRE, as well as taking part in one of his favourite annual occasions, the WellChild Awards.

Harry and Meghan stepped away from the working monarchy six years ago in search of personal and financial freedom in the US. Two weeks ago, they moved back, having enrolled their children Archie and Lili in British schools, with Meghan rumoured to be returning to acting again.

In January 2020, the duke and duchess had announced they intended to step back as “senior” members of the royal family, become financially independent, still support Queen Elizabeth II, but split their time between the UK and North America. But the late Queen ruled at the Sandringham Summit, which was convened to resolve the Megxit crisis, that the couple could not be half in and half out – with the King recently asserting the agreement still stands.

Rhys desvribed his parents as Royal fans, adding: “My mum was quite a big fan of the royals. I think she saw the late Queen one day when she visited Cardiff. My dad actually went to the same university as Charles when he was Prince of Wales. Charles was a year or two above him, but he was there at the same time as my dad in Aberystwyth. But he never bumped into him in person.”

Rhys said his time as a lookalike has been ‘up and down’, adding: “I started working as a lookalike the day after Harry and Meghan announced their engagement back in November 2017. People kept stopping me on the street and making comments to me over the years about my resemblance to him.

“Back in 2011, I sent my photo off to an agency, but at the time nobody got back to me. Harry wasn’t in the media as much, and there wasn’t as much demand. So when they got engaged, one of the agencies actually kept my name on file, and they emailed me the next day.

“When they got married in that summer of 2018, it was just super busy. I did a PR stunt for easyJet, a PR stunt for Hot Tub Company where we ended up on BBC Breakfast News, and I also appeared on This Morning. It’s such a varied job. I was even doing advertising for a wedding cake for Morrison’s.”

And while his parents had Royal encountersm Rhys is still waiting for his. He said: “Hopefully one day it would be great to see Harry and meet him in person. I’m aware that he looks at all the media published about him, so I’m sure he’s come across me a little bit. Hopefully he takes it in good nature.”

Rhys explained how he has trabsformed himself into the Prince. He said: “I used YouTube a lot. Also, because of his autobiography Spare, he recorded an audiobook. You’ve got his actual voice to listen to for hours and hours. So, I studied it and practised the speed he speaks at and his tone. His voice is very Etonian and quite deep, so it’s quite different to mine in a way. I’ve got a little bit of a Welsh accent, so I have to try and hide that.

“Initially, you could actually hire military outfits out from a store. My friend then suggested it’d be a really good idea to get the suit myself, so she really helped me to source all of the finer details. The one I have; it’s an actual ex-soldier’s suit. It’s got his name inside. So we built it up to match everything, including replica medals. That was a few £100 to do the proper job and make it as authentic as possible. It’s very thick and heavy to wear as well.”

Rhy’s job has taken him arround the world. He said: “I flew 12 hours to Macau, China for a billionaire’s 75th birthday party. The other lookalikes for Prince William and the late Queen Elizabeth II also came along, so all three of us were in business class at Heathrow Airport about to fly to China. We had a lot of comments from the cabin crew.

“He was one of the richest men in Malaysia and very much a big fan of everything British, so they had tribute acts of Adele and Elton John there as well. They also created a replica set of Buckingham Palace, including the gates and the concrete pillars made from actual metal and stone. The birthday cake was a royal carriage. I was there for 48 hours for a one-hour appearance.”

Rhys said he will now wait and see what happens next, adding: “Obviously now Harry’s a man in his forties, just like myself. I think lookalikes come in and out of fashion a little bit. It’ll be really interesting to see what happens over the next few months.”

SDLP leader Claire Hanna has compared former Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s government to the Stormont Executive, accusing both of having “no real sense of purpose” and saying it was difficult to understand what either administration was trying to achieve.

Speaking ahead of the SDLP’s party conference this weekend, Hanna delivered a striking assessment of the Westminster government, where her party has historically maintained close links with Labour while fiercely guarding its political independence.

While she described the arrival of Andy Burnham as Prime Minister as “refreshing”, she was careful to stress that the SDLP would not simply fall into line behind the new Labour administration.

“We have been all of our lives, and so are the Labour Party, a member of the Party of European Socialists. So we’re a sister party in that regard.

“We are very much our own people, our own politicians, and Colm [Eastwood] and I in Westminster, and all of us vote how we see fit, and the benefits for the people that we represent.

“We’ve never taken any other party’s whip, so just to be clear about that. But yeah, we do have, we do have common cause with people on the centre left, around the world.

“Clearly, and we weren’t shy about saying it, we voted against Keir Starmer’s government on many occasions; we, without fear or favour, address the policies.”

Claire Hanna then delivered one of the most pointed assessments of Starmer’s time in office, drawing a direct comparison between Westminster and Stormont.

“That was a disappointing government in terms of how it presented politics and how it got things done, and I actually see a lot of parallels between Starmer’s government and the Executive, there was just no real sense of purpose, you know, it’s hard to understand what they believed, what they were trying to achieve, because it wasn’t coming through in how they communicated and what they actually delivered.

“So look, Andy Burnham has been refreshing. I mean, just this week, we had quite a substantial, I mean, a genuinely substantial announcement on, for example, the approach to the catastrophic situation in Palestine in terms of settler terrorism in the West Bank, but that sort of step change hopefully is the shape of things to come.

“But we’re also very clear that no UK Prime Minister is going to do the things that need to be done here. That’s our job.

“We’re not waiting for him to do the work on a new Ireland, for example, which is why his clumsy remarks about it being off the table, and people kind of lost their minds about it here, as if they expected the Prime Minister from England to come over and tell us that he was gonna break up the union and don’t worry, it was all in hand.”

For Hanna, the question of a future united Ireland is therefore no longer something which can be treated as a distant constitutional possibility.

She believes the political parties and governments on both sides of the border need to begin doing the practical work of preparing for it now, regardless of when or whether a border poll is ultimately held.

Her comments came after Taoiseach Micheál Martin said he intended to raise the issue with the Prime Minister, including the criteria the Secretary of State could use when deciding whether a border poll should be held.

“I think the fact that Micheál Martin has said that is a really clear indication of the energy of this conversation and the trajectory, and we have worked very intensively with his party, with government parties, and opposition parties to just deepen their understanding that a new Ireland can’t just be a rhetorical thing.

“It has to be planned for and stepped through. So I think that was a very significant change in position from the Taoiseach, which hasn’t come out of nowhere, shall we say.

“I think it is appropriate to clarify [the criteria], and we will be doing some work in Westminster in the autumn and after that. I think all of us here in democratic Ireland, more broadly, should be shaping those criteria.

“Again, it’s another if it’s not, let’s hear what London thinks should be the criteria. We would want that to be widely consulted because there will be a panel of indicators.”

Hanna said the SDLP’s argument was not simply that a united Ireland should happen, but that the process leading towards constitutional change needed to be carefully planned and capable of taking account of people who do not currently support it.

She pointed to an SDLP event at the MAC in Belfast earlier this year and the party’s “Success by Design” document as examples of its attempt to move the debate away from slogans and towards detailed policy.

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“There are bigger questions around the how, the why, and when. The SDLP will be making this case between now and the next election. Who do you trust to be around those negotiating tables? Who do you trust to protect the interests of not just those who, like us, believe in this right now, but the people who are sceptical, the people who maybe it isn’t their first choice constitutionally?

“Who do you trust to do that work with both governments and get them into the right place, and who do you trust to get into the detail and not just kind of rally the base, and I think for a lot of people that will be the SDLP.

“I think it’s really important to get into the details of the planning. Our event in the MAC in June, which was a pretty significant all-party event, but not just talking about this is what I want, you know, sort of getting into the real texture detail.

“We made sure that every single panel of the five on that day had people who don’t come from a traditional Irish nationalist background or instinct. We want all different views.

“We made it clear, because we had senior UK politicians, politics is changing now, so, you know, there’s no point, even people who don’t want to talk about change here, and there are the parties of the status quo who don’t want to make change, it’s coming, so you can either shape it or, or be a passenger in it.”

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Manchester City are looking ahead to the Manchester derby after beating Porto 2-0 in the Champions League

Jeremy Doku will miss the Manchester derby but Nico O’Reilly is ready to come back in to face Manchester United. The Manchester City homegrown star has shrugged off a back issue and is “100 per cent available” for one of the biggest games of the season.

Doku has not played since the Community Shield after feeling tightness in his calf in the first 45 minutes against Arsenal. The injury was not described as serious, yet it has been enough to keep him out of the first four matches of the season and he will not be available to face United either with coach Enzo Maresca saying that he “needs more days”.

O’Reilly pulled out of the Coventry match in the warm-up last week. Again, it was not said to be a major issue and he did not travel to Porto for the Champions League game, but is confirmed to be available for Sunday’s game.

City look to continue their perfect start to the season as they head to Old Trafford. Maresca has overseen three Premier League wins in his opening three games since taking over from Pep Guardiola and the Blues also won in Porto in the Champions League this week.

United won this fixture last season when Michael Carrick haD just taken over temporary charge of the club, replacing Ruben Amorim. Carrick has since become permanent manager but United only have four points from their opening three games and will be under pressure to get a positive result on Sunday.

RNLI and Coastguard were called out to rescue the group, who encountered difficulties off Benllech Beach in challenging sea conditions

Three individuals have been rescued off the North Wales coast in a joint operation involving a lifeboat and a search and rescue helicopter. The group encountered difficulties off Benllech Beach in challenging sea conditions on Sunday, September 6 after attempting to swim towards a drifting vessel.

Moelfre RNLI’s volunteer crew deployed their all-weather lifeboat following reports of the group in distress. An HM Coastguard search and rescue helicopter also arrived at the scene and commenced an immediate search for the casualties, according to an RNLI statement.

The helicopter spotted and safely retrieved one person further offshore, while the crew aboard the Moelfre all-weather lifeboat launched its smaller vessel to locate and rescue the remaining two people. Read the biggest stories in Wales first by signing up to our daily newsletter here.

All three individuals were subsequently safely transferred to waiting Coastguard personnel on Benllech Beach, reports North Wales Live.

Moelfre RNLI Coxswain Mike Hughes-Roberts said: “The individuals were trying to swim out to a boat that had slipped its anchor in rough seas with a strong offshore wind.

“Conditions can change so quickly, and it is vitally important to stay vigilant when dealing with the sea. It can be so dangerous and unforgiving if not shown the respect it deserves.

“Always check the weather conditions and consider your capabilities.

“If in doubt – it is better to stay out of the water. Have a means of contact such as a mobile phone, if you get into trouble or see anyone else in difficulty, call 999 or 112 and ask for the Coastguard.

“If you do get into trouble in the water, Float to Live. Tilt your head back with your ears submerged, try to relax and control your breathing.

“Use your hands to help you stay afloat, don’t worry if your legs sink – as we all float differently. Once you’ve gained control of your breathing, call for help or swim to safety if you can.”

The RNLI cautioned that the autumn and winter periods typically bring more severe conditions that present a heightened risk to those visiting beaches, as larger swells and more powerful winds increase both the frequency and intensity of rip currents.

Safety guidance issued by the organisation emphasises that anyone trapped in a rip current should avoid attempting to swim directly against it to prevent exhaustion.

Those able to stand are urged to wade rather than swim, while those unable to reach the seabed should swim parallel to the shoreline until clear of the rip before making their way to land, always raising a hand and calling out for assistance.

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Silent Jay, a beloved star from Channel 4’s Gogglebox, has undergone a major transformation since leaving the show over a decade ago

Gogglebox’s ‘Silent Jay’ was a firm favourite before his departure over 10 years ago – but where is he now? The TV star joined the Channel 4 show in 2013 with the Woerdenweber family: Viv, her German husband Ralf, daughter Eve, and Eve’s boyfriend Jay.

They were one of the original families on the programme and became a hit with fans thanks to their hilarious insights into the week’s television.

As for Jay, he was given the nickname ‘Silent Jay’ due to him hardly ever saying a word while being featured on screen. Talking in 2014 about Jay, Viv said: “He’s not a very vocal person anyway, he tends to watch the TV in his own little world.

“I think he was a bit camera shy on the first couple of episodes and didn’t say anything, then people caught on, so now I think he thinks he might as well stick with it. He’s become a legend in his own lunchtime!”

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In 2015, though, Eve and Jay split, leading to Jay’s departure from Gogglebox. As for the rest of his former co-stars, the Woerdenweber clan remained on screen until 2020.

Nowadays, Jay looks totally different and even lives miles away from the Wirral as he resides abroad. He is now based in Rotterdam and has also adopted a completely new appearance.

Jay opted to shed the longer hairstyle he sported during his time on the programme in favour of a much shorter style. His Instagram profile, which remains private, states in the bio: “33 [peace sign emoji]. From Liverpool, living in Rotterdam.”

His X bio similarly states: “33 [peace sign emoji] [location emoji] Rotterdam [Netherlands flag]. Make every second devine [music notes emoji]. #Gogglebox series 2-5.”

The main reason the Woerdenweber family left the show was the impact of COVID, as they couldn’t be filmed and their daughter, Eve, was living in a separate household. Around the same time, Eve started working as a teacher and was studying for a PhD.

Viv – who recently graduated from the University of Liverpool with an MA in Archaeology – found studying and life to be things that held the family back from continuing their Gogglebox journey together, saying, “It was an awful lot to deal with.”

The family spoke fondly about their time on the show, calling it a really good experience and one that brought them a lot of laughs. They shared that the crew would always offer takeaway and would bring sweet treats with them, including donuts.

Gogglebox airs every Friday at 9pm on Channel 4.

Craig Ferguson believed he was being “shot at” and had to “duck down for cover” during his walk across the US for charity.

Tartan Army hero Craig Ferguson has revealed thought he was being “shot at” during his epic 3,300-mile walk across America while raising money for men’s mental health. The 23-year-old from Paisley arrived back at Glasgow Airport in July after spending 108 days walking across the States as part of his Tartan Trek challenge in support of SAMH (Scottish Action for Mental Health).

He left Santa Monica pier in California on February 24 before reaching Boston Common on June 12 ahead of Scotland’s opening World Cup fixture against Haiti. Along the way, he received support from high-profile Scots including Lewis Capaldi, Ross King MBE, The Proclaimers, Craig Gordon, Sir Kenny Dalglish and his namesake, broadcaster Craig Ferguson.

In the final week of his trek, the Scottish Government announced a £400,000 donation to SAMH as part of the campaign, with Ferguson raising over £1.1million. Appearing on Arnold Clark’s Stars in Cars social media series, Craig told host Ryan Wilson about the most dangerous situation he encountered on his journey.

Craig said: “I was walking down the street and someone looked at me really funny and the next thing I know, all I heard was ‘BANG, BANG, BANG’ like gunshots and I ducked down for cover. But it turns out the guy was just shooting targets in his garage.

“He was like, ‘Sorry man, just doing some practice’. Don’t practise on me though!”

After completing his journey and arriving in Boston Common, Craig broke down in tears. Hundreds of Scotland fans arrived to welcome Craig as they sang the national anthem.

Arriving to the sound of bagpipes an emotional Craig, who was mobbed by the world’s media, said: “I will never ever be able to find the words to describe this. No one will ever know how f***ing hard that was.

“Every part of that – the walking, I said I would do it. I said I’d raise £1million, we hit it for men’s mental health.

“And every single one of you that have supported it from the start and believed that I could do it. We’re f***ing here, we done it!”

His trip was not without heartache as the campaigner lost his two-of-a-kind kilt which he completed the mammoth task in after his mum misplaced it in New York. He appealed for a “miracle” to help find it, however, it was long gone and he had to rely on kiltmakers Slanj Kilts remaking it.

Mr Ferguson walked through desert heat, snowstorms, torrential rain and high winds in order to encourage conversations about mental health. Speaking upon returning home to Scotland on July 1, Craig said: “Coming home to Scotland is incredibly emotional.

“Setting off 108 days ago, I could never have imagined the journey ahead or the response it would receive. Every mile was for everyone who has struggled with their mental health and to show that no-one has to face those challenges alone.

“To return home knowing we’ve raised more than £1million for SAMH is something I’m immensely proud of and I’m so grateful to everyone who supported me every step of the way.”

Craig Ferguson’s episode of Stars in Cars is available now on Arnold Clark’s social media channels. Watch here.

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The Music, Fashion, Film tour is coming to the UK next year

Charli XCX has announced a new UK and European tour, which will see her return to Manchester for the first time since headlining Parklife last year.

The BRAT songstress, who is behind hits including Apple, Rock Music and Von Dutch, has been teasing her eagerly-awaited ‘Music, Fashion, Film’ for a few weeks now, with the performer announcing on social media last night that news was imminent.

It has now been confirmed that Charli will head out across the UK and Europe for six shows in February 2027. The tour will kick off in Dublin on February 13. There will also be shows in Glasgow, London, Amsterdam, and Paris with tickets on sale next week.

Click here for the latest on Manchester’s food & drink scene, gigs and more in our CityLife newsletter

The singer will head to Manchester’s Co-op Live on February 17 where she will be supported by Audrey Hobert. It will mark her second tour at the venue, following her hugely-successful and energetic BRAT tour back in 2024. She will also play London’s The O2 on February 19.

Pre-sale will begin on Wednesday (September 16) from 10am via the likes of Ticketmaster and Gigs and Tours. Fans can sign up for early pre-sale access via Charli’s website here. Anyone who pre-ordered Charli’s latest album from the official store during an earlier qualifying window will get first access to pre-sale tickets and will be emailed more information shortly.

General sale for the UK and European tour dates will begin from Friday (September 18) at 9am. Charli kicks off the initial US leg of the tour tonight, with a show in Philiadelphia.

Charli returned to Manchester last year as she headlined the Parklife festival at Heaton Park. During the rain-filled set, she confirmed that ‘BRAT summer would last fast forever’ even if the album cycle had ended.

Earlier this year, the singer released her eighth studio album, also named Music, Fashion, Film, which includes the singles SS26 and Camera. In addition to featuring industry pros John Cale, Marc Jacobs and Martin Scorsese on the cover, the album also featured a song with film director David Cronenberg.

Charli XCX tickets will be available via Ticketmaster and Gigs and Tours.

Charli XCX Music, Fashion, Film UK and European tour dates

• Sat 13 Feb 2027 – Dublin, IE – 3 Arena
• Mon 15 Feb 2027 – Glasgow, UK – OVO Hydro
• Wed 17 Feb 2027 – Manchester, UK – Co-Op Live
• Fri 19 Feb 2027 – London, UK – The O2
• Mon 22 Feb 2027 – Amsterdam, NL – Ziggo Dome
• Wed 24 Feb 2027 – Paris, FR – Accor Arena

For some, abstaining from alcohol can subsequently increase compulsive drinking. Our research team found that, in abstaining mice, this urge to drink is preceded by changes in the activity of a particular brain region, pointing to potential new screening opportunities to identify and help those most vulnerable to relapse.

Although alcohol abstinence is associated with improved health outcomes, addiction researchers have theorized that brain changes that occur during abstinence may increase a person’s risk of relapse.

To explore this theory, we studied how mice behaved after giving them long-term voluntary access to alcohol followed by a forced abstinence period. We found that a subset of the mice developed aversion-resistant alcohol intake – that is, they now drank alcohol despite the quinine we added to make it increasingly bitter. Moreover, compared to those who did not experience forced abstinence, these mice drank even larger quantities of the very bitter alcohol. These results suggest there are potential bodily challenges associated with abstinence that contribute to relapses in alcohol use disorder.

Next, we monitored the activity of a particular collection of cells in a portion of the brain known as the bed nucleus of the stria terminalis, or BNST. Researchers have previously found this small structure to be heavily implicated in alcohol use disorder symptoms such as anxiety and depression.

We found that allowing abstinent mice to reenter the setting where alcohol was previously available would lead them to attempt to drink even though the spout contained only water. These attempts were associated with activity in the BNST. Abstinent mice who had developed the taste for very bitter alcohol had more than double the activity in this brain area compared to mice that did not experience forced abstinence.

Importantly, we saw activity in the BNST even before we gave abstinent mice access to the bitter alcohol. This finding suggests it might be possible to identify people who are at risk of relapsing by screening for BNST activity when someone is given access to alcohol.

Why it matters

Alcohol misuse is one of the top public health challenges in the United States. Although this condition is linked to a wide variety of negative health effects, the public chronically underestimates its seriousness.

Deaths associated with alcohol use in 2024 were 4.5 times higher than deaths attributed to opioids. While harm reduction – a major component of opioid use disorder treatment – is being explored in alcohol use disorder, abstinence remains a mainstay of most approaches to this addiction.

Over 80% of Americans age 12 and older consume alcohol at some point in their lives, and around 10% go on to experience alcohol use disorder. This 10% amounts to almost 30 million people in need of treatment.

Unfortunately, clinicians are ill-equipped to predict who will need help. Although there are treatments approved by the Food and Drug Administration for alcohol use disorder, the number of people diagnosed with this condition remains very high. In fact, those numbers have effectively doubled in the U.S. since 1999.

Developing better strategies for identifying those at risk of developing alcohol use disorder and helping them navigate treatment strategies may improve treatment.

What still isn’t known

It’s not clear the exact role that the BNST area of the brain plays in behavior related to alcohol use disorder. It’s also not clear what drives the increase in activity, or which specific populations of brain cells within the BNST encode this activity. Obtaining these answers could lead to new treatment targets.

What’s next

New tools in neuroscience have allowed researchers to manipulate the activity of specific neurons in mice brains. Using these strategies, our team is working on understanding the role BNST plays in drinking alcohol despite the harmful consequences.

Our colleague Jennifer Blackford is also investigating BNST activity in the brains of people with alcohol use disorder who are in early abstinence. If her team observes similar findings in people, a next step would be to further test using the BNST as a screening method in clinical trials.

The Research Brief is a short take about interesting academic work.