Sagal Abdi-Wali has taken her seat in the British House of Commons after being sworn in as the new MP for Holborn and St Pancras.
The Somali-born politician won last week’s by-election in the central London constituency with 45% of the vote, defeating Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who received about 33%.
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The contest was prompted by former prime minister Keir Starmer’s resignation as the constituency’s MP.
“I have officially been sworn in! Great day meeting all my new colleagues, so excited to represent the people of Holborn and St Pancras,” she said in a post on X.
Born in Somalia, Abdi-Wali arrived in Britain as a child refugee and spent much of her life in Camden. She worked with local communities for more than a decade before becoming leader of Camden Council.
Community work
Her Labour party said Abdi-Wali has supported the community as a volunteer and trustee for local charities, served as a governor at two local schools and worked as a local government officer at Camden Council.
Her political career and community activism were influenced in part by her own experiences growing up in Camden.
Her candidacy attracted considerable interest among Britain’s Somali and broader African communities, highlighting her journey from refugee child to a senior role in local government and now to Parliament.
