The British government is hoping Polish sympathy will save a hotly-contested parliamentary seat from falling to another party. The ruling Labour Party has chosen Chris Ostrowski to represent them and win the seat in a by-election this Thursday.

There has been no negative comment on Ostrowski's roots in the media or from rival political parties. But the test could be one of how much ordinary voters accept someone with a Polish name in light of the recent controversy over migrant workers in Britain's deep recession.

So far, attention has been focused elsewhere in the campaign. The seat of Norwich North, 150 miles north of London, is the first Westminster seat to be contested since the MPs expenses scandal rocked the three mainstream political parties Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

And the seat is being contested because of that expenses' scandal. Labour's Ian Gibson, the maverick left-wing MP caused the the by-election after being deselected following controversy over his second-home allowance.

Gibson had his candidacy rescinded after revelations that he claimed almost £80,000 in second home expenses on a London flat that he later sold at a reduced price to his daughter. He announced his decision to quit as an MP immediately rather than wait for the general election expected by June 2010.

The Conservatives hope that Labour's woe with Gibson will land them the seat, and result in fresh-faced and expenses scandal-free Chloe Smith, aged 27, winning as one of Westminster's youngest MPs.

But Labour is pinning its hope on Ostrowski, aged 28, whose paternal side is Polish. Ostrowski's grandfather, who fought in the Second World War, came to England after being deported to Siberia and released eventually under the 1941 Sikorski-Maisky pact.

"We are backing him because he knows what the constituency needs, and will work hard for the people of Norwich North. But we are also very proud to support him because of his family’s background," said Labour Friends of Poland Secretary, Wiktor Moszczynski.

The Liberal Democrats have selected local businesswoman April Pond to stand. But they are also raising the Polish card in the campaign. Liberal Democrats spokesman John Oakes told Radio ORLA: "Polish people are helping Norwich Liberal Democrats by taking up Polish literature, and contacting Poles directly. Even if most of  them cannot vote in a Westminster election, the local party is looking to next May's (general) election, and thinks it is only right that Poles become involved and informed about all local issues."

But the parties are also aware that they could fall victim to a protest vote after the expenses' scandal, as happened with last month's European elections. There are a total of 12 candidates standing in the by-election, including the British National Party. But the parties that could stand to benefit on Thursday could be the pro-environment Greens or the anti-Europe UK Independence Party.