By Asha Elmi - Reporter
LONDON, 9 October 2026 Sagal Abdi-Wali, a Labour Party candidate born in Somalia, has won the Holborn and St Pancras parliamentary by-election in London, securing 12,292 votes. She succeeds former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, who resigned from the seat in September.
Abdi-Wali defeated Green Party candidate Zack Polanski, who received 8,928 votes. She secured 45% of the vote, compared with Polanski’s 33%. Turnout was 38.76%, according to Camden Council.
In her victory speech, Abdi-Wali reflected on arriving in Britain as a child and becoming the constituency’s new member of Parliament. She credited Camden with providing her family with a home, education, opportunities and a sense of community.
“I want young people to know that their background does not determine the size of their dreams,” she said.
Abdi-Wali succeeds Starmer, who represented Holborn and St Pancras for more than a decade before stepping down. She also paid tribute to the late Frank Dobson, who represented the constituency before Starmer, acknowledging the contributions of both predecessors.
She described becoming the first woman to represent Holborn and St Pancras as an “extraordinary honor.”
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Her policy priorities include tackling homelessness, expanding access to jobs and apprenticeships, and bringing Thames Water into public ownership. She said essential services should serve the public interest rather than profit.
Abdi-Wali also stressed the importance of protecting community cohesion and resisting efforts to deepen divisions.
“Hope is not naive; without hope, there is nothing to build on and nothing to build for,” she said.
She added that her campaign had sought to unite voters around a positive vision for the constituency and the country.
“Throughout our campaign, we chose hope, and the people of Holborn and St Pancras chose it with us,” she said.
Her election marks a new chapter for the constituency. In her victory speech, she focused on opportunity, public service and belonging.