Sagal Cabdi weli oo ah gabar Soomaaliyeed oo ku guuleysatay kuriga baarlamaanka ee Holborn and St Pancras

Friday 9 Oct 2026 {HMC} The candidate of the Labour Party in Britain, Sagal Abdi-Wali, has won the by-election in the Holborn and St Pancras constituency, defeating Zack Polanski, the leader of the Greens Party, in a highly watched contest to fill the parliamentary seat of Keir Starmer.

According to The Guardian newspaper, Sagal Abdi-Wali received 12,292 votes, while Zack Polanski received 8,928 votes, confirming her election victory.

Sagal, who leads the Camden local council, came to Britain as a child after fleeing Somalia due to the conflicts and circumstances in the country during the 1990s.

Her victory comes at a time when this election was seen as an important political contest between Labour and the Greens, particularly the competition both parties are facing for left-wing voters.

The voter turnout was 38.7%, which is the lowest recorded for a by-election in England during the current Parliament. This rate is 15.4 points lower than that of the general election in 2024.

The Greens Party acknowledged their defeat before the official results were announced, stating that the contest with Labour in one of their strongest areas shows the political progress of the Greens.

Polanski's defeat also came after a tough political week for his party, following the controversial decision by the Greens Party to endorse a motion describing Zionism as a form of racism.

Sagal Abdi-Wali, speaking about her victory at the Camden Council in North London, stated that she hopes her success will be a message to people from underrepresented communities.

“I hope this moment also speaks to who has the right to be part of the community. People who look like me, I hope they see themselves here and know that they too belong,” Sagal said.

Sagal also discussed the importance of maintaining community unity and the diversity of people living in Camden, warning against allowing efforts built over generations to create a united community to be undermined by those wanting to divide it.

“Within Camden, our diversity is our strength, and our unity has come from a lot of hard work that should not be taken lightly,” she stated.

She noted that she has seen many people working towards building a community where diversity is valued, rather than feared.

Sagal Abdi-Wali also addressed the impact of divisive political rhetoric on those wanting to engage in politics and community activities.

In an interview with Sky News, she mentioned that some of the rhetoric does not personally discourage her, but she is saddened by the impact it may have on others wanting to contribute to the community.

She stated that she possesses resilience and patience, but it is important that political campaigns do not create a sense among people that they do not belong to the community in which they live.

} The success of Sagal Abdi-Wali has attracted the attention of Somalis, especially the diaspora, as she is a woman of Somali origin who has transitioned from being a refugee to a leader in British politics.