Sagal Abdi-Wali Wins Labour Seat After Years of Camden Service

After decades of community volunteering and years in local government, Sagal Abdi-Wali has won the Holborn and St Pancras by-election for Labour, succeeding Keir Starmer in the north London constituency. The 43-year-old, who arrived in Britain as a child fleeing war in Somalia, secured the seat after a campaign that drew on her longstanding connections across Camden.

Abdi-Wali has lived in the area since the 1990s, when she arrived at the age of seven with her mother and four brothers. The family eventually settled in Gospel Oak, much of which lies within the constituency, according to her account of her early life.

In her acceptance speech, Abdi-Wali described the victory as deeply personal and said she hoped her journey would inspire people from similar backgrounds. She also emphasized her connection to the community where she grew up and built her political career.

Her remarks included the phrase “deeply personal,” as she described the significance of replacing the former prime minister in the constituency.

Abdi-Wali said she wanted her election to encourage “people who look like me.”

She also declared, “This is Camden and this is Britain.”

Before entering Parliament, Abdi-Wali built a substantial political record in Camden. She was elected to the borough council in 2022, became its cabinet member responsible for housing in 2024 and was elected the first Black female leader of Camden Council in May. She also chaired the local Labour constituency party for four years.

A close friend who participated in her campaign attributed her selection and victory to those established local relationships. Labour chose Abdi-Wali from a field of more than 100 candidates after Starmer resigned the previous month.

The friend said, “She genuinely is deeply rooted in so many different parts of the constituency.”

The friend contrasted Abdi-Wali's longstanding local connections with the challenge faced by Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who also contested the seat.

“I suppose all MPs like to think they are, but with Sagal it is the real deal.”

The friend added that Labour's campaign benefited from a strong presence on the ground and that the Greens had underestimated its scale and energy.

“There’s a real community connection there, [and] I think the Green party and Zack Polanski underestimated how energetic and big the Labour campaign was going be. I don’t think they knew that those very deep roots in the constituency existed.”

The friend also highlighted the short campaign period as a factor in the contest.

“That’s the thing about a byelection, you only have four weeks. So if those roots are already there, you’ve got a huge, huge head start.”

Tulip Siddiq, the Labour MP for neighboring Hampstead and Highgate, also praised Abdi-Wali's community ties and commitment to public service.

“Her love of Camden is so obvious, and people really value that. She’s very caring, very local, and she genuinely seems to have a passion for politics and public service.”

Siddiq said voters had previously encountered “lots of flat candidates,” adding that “people like a bit of passion.”

Abdi-Wali has said that witnessing rising homelessness around King's Cross during the austerity years of the 2010s encouraged her to become more involved in party politics. Reflecting on her childhood, she credited her mother with creating stability despite the family's displacement.

She recalled that “my mum was always looking after us and made our lives nice, serene … whether we were in a refugee camp or temporary housing.”

Housing remains central to Abdi-Wali's political priorities. In her acceptance speech, she pledged to address homelessness and housing concerns, advocate for bringing Thames Water into public ownership and expand access to jobs and apprenticeships for young people.

Her record on housing has also attracted criticism. In November 2024, the housing ombudsman published a critical report describing Camden Council's housing service as “rude, defensive and inadequate.” Abdi-Wali had been responsible for the housing portfolio for about six months when the report appeared, and her friends defended her record during her tenure.

Outside formal politics, Abdi-Wali has worked with community groups supporting young people, served as a governor at several schools and founded football clubs. A close friend described her playing style as “pretty aggressive on the pitch” and called her an “ardent” Tottenham Hotspur supporter, a potentially unpopular allegiance in a constituency with strong Arsenal support, which the friend described as “Arsenal-dominated.”

Abdi-Wali also faced criticism after a post on social media by Reform's Zia Yusuf following her selection. Labour representatives called the post “clearly racist,” and senior figures within Reform also condemned it.

Siddiq said she contacted Abdi-Wali to check on her response to the incident.

“Are you OK?”

Siddiq said Abdi-Wali responded with determination rather than discouragement.

“‘No, I feel very resilient about it. It’s made me even more determined to get on and do it.’”