LONDON, United Kingdom – Britain’s ruling Labour Party has retained the Holborn and St Pancras parliamentary seat in London in a by-election held on Thursday, with its candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali securing 12,292 votes to become the first Somali elected to the UK Parliament.
Sagal, a former child refugee who arrived in the United Kingdom from Somalia in the 1990s, defeated Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who secured 8,928 votes. Ewan Cameron of the Conservatives came third with 1,922 votes.
Polanski’s participation had brought national attention to the contest, as the Greens sought to challenge Labour in one of its traditional strongholds.
Green Party concedes defeat
Shortly before the official result was announced, a Green Party spokesperson conceded defeat, saying the party expected to finish a close second. The spokesperson said the campaign had demonstrated how far the Greens had come in challenging Labour.
By-election triggered by Starmer’s resignation
The by-election was triggered by former British Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s resignation as a member of Parliament last month. Starmer, who had represented Holborn and St Pancras since 2015, announced his resignation as Labour leader on June 22 and formally stepped down as prime minister on July 20.
Labour has held the constituency continuously since its creation in 1983. The by-election was widely seen as a key electoral test for Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s Labour Party, particularly its ability to retain support among left-wing voters amid growing competition from the Greens.
Historic significance
Sagal’s victory marks a significant milestone for Somali representation in British politics, with the former child refugee becoming the first person of Somali origin to sit in the UK Parliament.
Her journey from arriving in the UK as a refugee in the 1990s to winning a parliamentary seat in central London has drawn international attention.
