Labour has retained Holborn and St Pancras after Sagal Abdi-Wali defeated Green Party leader Zack Polanski in a parliamentary by-election.
According to Camden Council’s official results, Abdi-Wali received 12,292 votes, compared with Polanski’s 8,928, giving her a majority of 3,364.
Voting took place on Thursday, 8 October, with the result declared following an overnight count. Abdi-Wali succeeds former prime minister Keir Starmer, who resigned as the constituency’s MP in September.
Labour holds the seat as Greens increase their share
Labour secured approximately 45.2% of valid votes, while the Greens received 32.8%. Turnout was 38.76%.
Conservative candidate Ewan Cameron finished third with 1,922 votes. Reform UK’s Peter Newman came fourth with 1,612, followed by Liberal Democrat Patrick Stillman with 924.
The result preserves Labour’s hold on the constituency, although its majority is smaller than at the 2024 general election.
UK Parliament’s election records show that Starmer won 48.9% of the vote in 2024, with a majority of 11,572 over independent candidate Andrew Feinstein. The Greens finished third that year with 10.4%.
The comparison shows substantial growth in the Greens’ share, but the contests involved different candidates and a lower turnout this time.
An early electoral test for Burnham
Reuters described the victory as a boost for Prime Minister Andy Burnham in an early test of his appeal among London voters.
Burnham took office on 20 July 2026, according to his official government biography.
Polanski said he intended to remain Green Party leader. ITV News reported that he highlighted his campaign’s proposals for rent controls, action on climate change and nationalising Thames Water.
He acknowledged that some voters wanted to give Burnham a chance and said the government should now be judged on its delivery.
Why it matters to the African diaspora
Abdi-Wali arrived in Britain as a child refugee from Somalia. Her election brings a politician with that experience into the House of Commons.
Camden Council says she first became a councillor in 2022 and was appointed the borough’s first Black woman council leader in May 2026.
In her victory speech, she linked the result to representation and belonging, saying she hoped people who looked like her would see themselves reflected in Parliament.
Her remarks followed criticism of her Somali background during the campaign. She urged residents to protect the community cohesion built across Camden over generations.
