Sagal Abdi-Wali has officially taken her seat in the United Kingdom’s House of Commons after winning the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, defeating Green Party leader Zack Polanski in a contest that has reshaped the political landscape in the north London constituency.
Abdi-Wali, a Labour Party politician and former Camden Council leader, was welcomed by fellow Labour MPs as Parliament resumed business on Monday following the party political conference recess.
The newly elected MP was congratulated by Prime Minister Keir Starmer and other Labour colleagues in Westminster Hall before taking her seat in the Commons Chamber.
Accompanied by Labour MPs Natasha Irons and Liam Conlon, Abdi-Wali swore an oath of allegiance to King Charles III, pledging to remain faithful to the monarch and his heirs and successors in accordance with the law.
Her election victory came after a closely watched by-election held last Thursday, in which she secured 12,292 votes against Polanski’s 8,928, giving her a majority of 3,364 votes.
Conservative candidate Ewan Cameron finished third with 1,922 votes, while Reform UK’s Peter Newman received 1,612. The election recorded a turnout of 38.76 per cent, with 27,309 votes cast.
Although Labour retained the constituency, the Green Party recorded a significant increase in its vote share, with a 13 per cent swing towards the party and a 22.4 percentage-point rise in its share of the vote, according to the reported results.
The defeat has also intensified scrutiny of Polanski’s leadership following controversy surrounding a motion debated at the Green Party conference that described Zionism as racism.
Following her victory, Abdi-Wali outlined housing and social welfare as key priorities, pledging to tackle homelessness, expand opportunities for young people and pursue public ownership of Thames Water.
“Homelessness is the issue that first drove me into politics, and no-one should be sleeping on the streets, and no family should be left without security in the home,” she said.
She added that she wanted to work with the government to address rough sleeping and the wider housing crisis, arguing that people needed not only shelter but also the security and hope associated with having a proper home.
Abdi-Wali also described her election as an important moment for diversity and representation in British politics, saying she hoped her victory would encourage people from similar backgrounds to see themselves represented in Parliament.
Her candidacy had attracted national attention after Reform UK home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf criticised Labour’s selection of a British-Somali candidate in September. His remarks were condemned by Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds as “straightforward racism”.
Andy Burnham welcomed Abdi-Wali’s victory, describing the constituency as having “voted for hope” and expressing his willingness to work with the new MP.
Starmer also congratulated her, describing her as a strong champion for local communities.
Abdi-Wali’s entry into Parliament now places her at the centre of debates on housing, public services, social inclusion and the future direction of British politics.
