Labour's Starmer Successor Faces Green Test in London Byelection
Sagal Abdi-Wali, Labour's candidate for Holborn and St Pancras, is making one thing clear as voters prepare to go to the polls on 8 October: she is visible, committed and local. The 42-year-old former Camden council leader is standing in the seat vacated by Keir Starmer, and she insists she has no ambitions beyond representing her community.
Speaking during a break in campaigning at a Primrose Hill cafe, Abdi-Wali was emphatic when asked if she wanted to follow in Starmer's footsteps as a future party leader or prime minister. 'No, no, no, no, that's not at all, in any way, what I'm trying to do,' she said. 'I'm literally trying to get through the next few weeks and trying to be the member of parliament for this constituency, and that's all I care about.'
What is at stake in the Holborn and St Pancras byelection?
The byelection is a critical test for Labour leader Andy Burnham. A victory here would allow him to argue that his appeal is national, while a defeat would end his honeymoon period in Westminster. The contest has been triggered after Starmer was removed by his own MPs and quit the seat to focus on international affairs.
The constituency is young, diverse and heavily reliant on renting. About 45% of constituents were born overseas, and 48% are aged between 18 and 34, compared with the UK average of 28%. While Labour has held the seat since 2015, its majority has been cut in half since the 2024 general election.
Who is challenging Labour in this constituency?
The main challenger is Zack Polanski of the Green Party, who is flooding the area with activists and focusing heavily on the Gaza conflict. Green campaigners have distributed leaflets noting that no Labour councillor has signed a statement of solidarity with Palestine, and they have seized on Abdi-Wali's absence from a Camden Muslim Network hustings.
Abdi-Wali dismissed the criticism, saying her nonattendance was due to a last-minute invitation and a prior obligation. She declined to say whether the Labour government should go further on Gaza but welcomed the foreign secretary's decision to call Israel's occupation of the West Bank unlawful and to announce sanctions on trade with Israeli settlements.
'People have seen what's been happening over the last three years - the 70,000 Palestinians killed by the Israeli government and the atrocities of Hamas on October 7th,' she said. 'In our communities we've seen a rise in hate and we've been doing a lot of work in making sure those communities feel supported.'
Who is Sagal Abdi-Wali?
Abdi-Wali arrived in London in the early 1990s speaking no English, after fleeing war in Somalia with her four brothers and her mother, a trained lawyer who became a community activist. She moved to Gospel Oak at age seven, and her father later joined the family. She credits her mother as her inspiration.
She joined the Labour Party in 2015 after witnessing a rise in homelessness around King's Cross. 'In the 2000s it was almost eradicated, but when I came back to Camden from university, homelessness was really rampant,' she said. 'It was a political choice ... I realised it needed political solutions.'
What are Abdi-Wali's positions on housing and local issues?
Housing is a major concern in the constituency, where 76% of residents rent, compared with the UK average of 36%. Abdi-Wali is wary of rent controls, arguing they can help those already in housing but reduce the availability of stock for others. 'It's not a solution for the vast majority of people,' she said. 'But I think everything should be looked at as an option to see how we can really tackle the housing crisis.'
She said her experience as a councillor and council leader showed her that issues like housing and the climate emergency need national-level policy and advocacy.
Why did Abdi-Wali decide to stand for Parliament?
Abdi-Wali admitted she was unsure about putting her name forward, but a nudge from an unexpected source helped make up her mind. When her name began being mentioned, Reform UK's home affairs spokesperson, Zia Yusuf, wrote on social media that she was being 'foisted' on the people of Holborn despite being 'born in Somalia'.
Asked if Yusuf's comments tipped the balance, she said: 'It was more that I think people like me should be in this arena. And wanting to make sure that young people that look like me - or don't look like me - can understand that it's not just divisive, hateful rhetoric that gets you here. Actually just being a local person committed to your community and wanting to do better for it can also do that.'
Political analysts say Labour remains the favourite, but the Greens could pull off an upset if they can energise their base and tap into soft-left voters who want to keep Burnham true to his principles.