Sagal Abdi-Wali
Labour MP for Holborn and St Pancras and leader of Camden Council.
Sagal Abdi-Wali won Holborn and St Pancras for Labour on 8 October 2026, taking 12,292 votes and entering Parliament while continuing to lead Camden Council.
Last refreshed: 22 October 2026 · Appears in 1 active topic
Timeline for Sagal Abdi-Wali
Held Holborn and St Pancras for Labour
UK Local Elections 2026: Labour holds Holborn as Greens close inBackground
Sagal Abdi-Wali was first elected to Camden Council in 2022 and later served as Cabinet member for Better Homes. A child refugee who grew up in Camden, she helped lead the borough's work towards Borough of Sanctuary accreditation in 2024. She became Camden's first Black woman council leader in May 2026 and chairs its Cabinet.
The 8 October 2026 by-election made Abdi-Wali the Labour MP for Holborn and St Pancras. Parliament records that this is her first term in the Commons. She remains leader of Camden Council, combining constituency representation at Westminster with responsibility for the borough's strategic direction. The result preserved Labour's hold on the seat formerly represented by Keir Starmer.
Abdi-Wali retains Labour's Holborn seat
On 8 October 2026, Abdi-Wali won the Holborn and St Pancras by-election with 12,292 votes, or 45.2 per cent. She finished 3,364 votes ahead of Green Party leader Zack Polanski, keeping the constituency in Labour hands after succeeding Keir Starmer as the party's candidate.
The result sent Abdi-Wali to the Commons on 8 October 2026 while she remained leader of Camden Council. For her, the contest established a national mandate alongside an existing local leadership role; The Greens' second-place finish also defined the nearest electoral challenge at the start of her parliamentary career.
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Written with AI from Lowdown's published reporting. Not individually reviewed by an editor. Updated 22 October 2026. Editorial standards.