Sagal Abdi-Wali, a former child refugee from Somalia, has won the Holborn and St Pancras by-election for the Labour Party, defeating Green Party leader Zack Polanski.
Abdi-Wali won by a margin of 3,364 votes, while Polanski secured 8,928 votes.
The by-election was triggered by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s resignation as a Member of Parliament.
Speaking after her victory, Abdi-Wali said representing the constituency that had given her family a home was deeply personal to her.
“For people who look like me, I hope they see themselves reflected in this place and know that their path too belongs here,” she said.
She pledged to work every day to improve the lives of local families, regardless of how they had voted.
Abdi-Wali, who became leader of Camden Council in May 2026, faced criticism during the campaign from Reform UK’s Zia Yusuf over the fact that she was not born in Britain.
The Labour Party condemned the remarks as racist, while Abdi-Wali criticised what she described as hateful rhetoric surrounding her selection and defended immigration.
Voter turnout fell sharply to 38.76 per cent, with 27,309 ballots cast, compared with 56,786 at the 2024 general election.
The result is also likely to intensify scrutiny of the Green Party’s leadership following a controversial internal party vote.
Former Green Party leader Caroline Lucas, speaking on the BBC’s Newsnight, said it remained to be seen whether Polanski could demonstrate the leadership that had been lacking over the decision.
A Green Party spokesperson acknowledged the defeat but said coming close to winning a traditionally safe Labour seat demonstrated how far the party had progressed.
