BREAKING: Labour candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali beats Zack Polanski to win Holborn and St Pancras by-election
Sagal Abdi-Wali, a former child refugee from Somalia, defeated Zack Polanski after a seismic by-election sparked by the former PM Keir Starmer quitting as an MP
Sagal Abdi-Wali, a former child refugee from Somalia, is the new Labour MP for Holborn and St Pancras(Image: Vuk Valcic/ZUMA Press Wire/Shutterstock)
Labour’s candidate in Keir Starmer’s old seat has beaten Zack Polanski to win the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.
Sagal Abdi-Wali, a former child refugee from Somalia, was elected in a seismic by-election sparked by the former PM quitting as an MP.
The new Holborn and St Pancras MP beat the Green Party leader in the contest, winning 12,292 votes, beating Mr Polanski on 8,928.
Speaking after the victory, she said: “Whether you voted for me or not, my commitment to this community runs deep. I promise that I will work every day to do whatever I can, and all I can, to improve your life and to improve the life of you and your family.
“This moment means something deeply personal to me, to represent the place that gave me a home, and my family a home, gave me opportunity, and helped shape the person I am today. Camden gave me a community and instilled in me a belief in social justice, in equality, and in fairness.
“I hope this moment also says something about who gets to belong. For people who look like me, I hope they see themselves reflected in this place and know that their path too belongs here. This is Camden, and this is Britain.”
Voter turnout in Holborn and St Pancras was 38.76%, with 27,309 ballots cast. This was a significant drop from 2024’s general election, when 56,786 people voted.
The leader of Camden Council since May 2026, after being selected Ms Abdi-Wali faced criticism from Reform’s Zia Yusuf over not being born in Britain in an attack Labour branded “straightforward racism”.
In an interview with the Mirror, she hit out at the “hateful rhetoric” around her selection, and issued a defiant defence of immigration. The result could spell disaster for Mr Polanski’s leadership of the party, with Greens’ popularity starting to dip after Andy Burnham regained some Labour voters who lent them their vote.
Conceding the result before the verdict was announced, a Green Party spokesperson said: “It is clear now we will come a close second in this by-election.
“Taking the fight to Labour in one of its safest seats shows just how far the Greens have come. Voters want us to keep Labour’s feet to the fire on affordable housing, public ownership of water and the climate crisis.”Mr Polanski faces a growing fallout after members endorsed a motion equating Zionism with racism – with the head of a Jewish group saying she may quit, and the chair of Amnesty UK walking away.
Vivien Lichtenstein, who chairs Jewish Greens, said she is considering leaving the party, while Sandy Ruthven, chairman of Amnesty UK, said the motion “marks the end of the line for me”.
Just after polls closed, Caroline Lucas, the former Green leader, refused to say if Zack Polanski should resign over his handling over the “zionism is racism’ motion.
Appearing on Newsnight, she said: “I want him to speak now about what’s happened, I want him to show the leadership that was frankly missing on Sunday. I think the jury is out about whether he will do that – but I very much hope he will.”
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