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Camden council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali wins Holborn and St Pancras for Labour
She took 45% of the vote to Green leader Zack Polanski's 33% and becomes the first British Somali MP.
Key facts
- Labour's Sagal Abdi-Wali won with 12,292 votes, a 45% share
- Green leader Zack Polanski came second with 8,928 votes, or 33%
- Majority of 3,364, declared just after 3am on Friday in King's Cross
- The by-election followed Sir Keir Starmer standing down from the seat in September
Holborn and St Pancras has elected Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali as its MP. The leader of Camden Council finished 3,364 votes ahead of Green Party leader Zack Polanski in Thursday’s by-election. The count ended just after 3am on Friday at the council’s offices in King’s Cross.
Abdi-Wali won 12,292 votes, a 45% share. Polanski was second on 8,928, or 33%. The Conservatives came third, beating Reform UK at a by-election in England for the first time in this Parliament. The contest was called after former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer stood down from the seat in September. Fewer people voted this time than at the 2024 general election, which had a turnout of 54%.
Sagal Abdi-Wali: from Camden housing officer to MP
Abdi-Wali, 42, was a child when she and her family fled Somalia for the UK in the 1990s. She grew up in Camden and later worked for the council as a housing officer. She was elected a councillor in 2022 and became council leader in May. No British Somali person had sat in the Commons before her.
Housing will come first for her at Westminster, she has said. In her view the country needs more social and affordable homes, as well as homes of every other tenure. She also backs bringing Thames Water into public ownership and has said opportunities for young people are a priority. “Homelessness is the thing that drove me into politics,” she said.
Greens record their second-best by-election result
The Greens took 10% in the seat at the general election and tripled that share this time. It was the party’s second best showing at a Westminster by-election. Polanski said many people he spoke to on the doorstep wanted to give Prime Minister Andy Burnham a chance. He said he would stay on as party leader. “Of course I can carry on as leader of the Green party,” he said.
Burnham congratulated the new MP on a “fantastic campaign”. He added that he was keen to work with her.
Key questions
Who won the Holborn and St Pancras by-election?
Labour's Sagal Abdi-Wali won with 12,292 votes (45%). Green Party leader Zack Polanski came second with 8,928 (33%).
Why was there a by-election in Holborn and St Pancras?
It was called after former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer stood down from the seat in September.
Who is Sagal Abdi-Wali?
She worked as a Camden Council housing officer, became a councillor in 2022 and council leader in May. Her family fled Somalia for the UK when she was a child, and she is the first British Somali MP.
Who came third in the by-election?
The Conservatives. It was the first time in this Parliament they have beaten Reform UK at a by-election in England.
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