By: Mohamed Duale
LONDON, Oct 9 — Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali won the Holborn and St Pancras parliamentary by-election, defeating Green Party leader Zack Polanski and retaining the north London seat previously held by former prime minister Keir Starmer.
Abdi-Wali received 12,292 votes, compared with Polanski’s 8,928, giving her a majority of 3,364. The contest followed Starmer’s resignation from parliament in September.
Speaking after her victory, Abdi-Wali promised to serve the whole constituency, including residents who had supported other candidates.
“Whether you voted for me or not, my commitment to this community runs deep. I promise that I will work every day to do whatever I can, and all I can, to improve your life and to improve the life of you and your family,” she said.
Abdi-Wali, the leader of Camden Council, arrived in Britain as a child refugee from Somalia in the early 1990s. Her family settled in Camden, where she grew up relying on local youth and community services.
“This moment means something deeply personal to me, to represent the place that gave me a home, and my family a home, gave me opportunity, and helped shape the person I am today,” she said.
“Camden gave me a community and instilled in me a belief in social justice, in equality, and in fairness.”
She also spoke about what her election could mean for people who saw their own experiences reflected in hers.
“I hope this moment also says something about who gets to belong. For people who look like me, I hope they see themselves reflected in this place and know that their path too belongs here. This is Camden, and this is Britain.”
Abdi-Wali paid tribute to Starmer in her acceptance speech, saying: “I sincerely thank Keir.”
Turnout was 38.76%, with 27,309 ballots cast, according to Camden Council figures. Participation was lower than at the 2024 general election, when turnout was about 54.1%.
The result gives Prime Minister Andy Burnham a boost as Labour seeks to retain support among urban voters amid growing competition from the Greens. For Polanski, the defeat ends his bid to enter parliament through the constituency.
(Reporting by Mohamed Duale; HornDiplomat News Desk)