Labour has turned to Camden Council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali as it seeks to hold Holborn and St Pancras after former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stepped down as the constituency’s MP.
Somali-born Sagal Abdi-Wali has launched her campaign to become Labour’s next MP for Holborn and St Pancras
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Abdi-Wali, who leads Camden Council, has formally entered the race to replace Starmer, setting the stage for a closely watched by-election in the central London seat.
She faces a competitive challenge from Zack Polanski and the Green Party, with voters due to go to the polls on Thursday, October 8.
The contest will elect a new Member of Parliament for the central London constituency following Starmer’s decision to step down as its MP.
Camden Council says the deadline to register to vote is 11.59pm on Tuesday September 22, 2026, UK time.
Eligible voters include British and Irish citizens, along with qualifying Commonwealth citizens who meet the relevant electoral requirements.
Abdi-Wali was born in Somalia and arrived in Britain as a child refugee. She has spent much of her life in Camden, where she has worked with local communities for more than a decade.
Labour says her community service has included volunteering and serving as a trustee for local charities, becoming a governor at two local schools and working as a local government officer at Camden Council.
Her political and civic work has also been influenced by her experience of growing up in Camden.
Childhood in Camden
Labour says local youth services and community groups gave Abdi-Wali opportunities and safe spaces during her childhood. She now wants to work alongside organisations addressing inequality and improving living standards across the community.
After being selected as Labour’s candidate, Abdi-Wali said she was honoured that local party members had chosen to place their confidence in her.
“I am delighted that local members have put their trust in me to be Labour’s candidate in the area I’ve grown up in.
“This place welcomed my family as refugees and gave us hope when we needed it most. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to build a life here, serving our community as a councillor, school governor, and community activist. Now I am standing to say thank you and to give back the hope you gave me.
“Throughout this campaign, I promise to put our communities at the heart of everything I do, now and for the future. Together, we can make hope win.”
UK PM Burnham backs Abdi-Wali
Her campaign received a prominent endorsement on Thursday when UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham made an unexpected visit to London and met Abdi-Wali in the Holborn and St Pancras constituency. Burnham praised her record at Camden Council and said Labour wanted her to bring that experience to Westminster.
“I was so pleased for you,” Mr Burnham told Ms Abdi-Wali. “I think you’ve been amazing in what you’ve achieved with Camden Council, but we want you in Parliament.”
The visit came as Abdi-Wali intensified her campaign before the October ballot, with Labour attempting to retain a seat it has held for decades.
Her candidacy has attracted considerable interest among Britain’s Somali and broader African communities, highlighting her journey from refugee child to senior local-government figure.
However, the by-election is expected to centre on a broader set of local concerns. Candidates are likely to campaign on housing, public services, the cost of living, inequality and the future of communities in central London.
For Abdi-Wali, the campaign also carries a deeply personal message about the opportunities she says Camden offered her family after they arrived in Britain.
She is now seeking to move from Camden Council to Parliament, presenting her experience of displacement, community support and public service as the foundation of her bid for national elected office.
