Sagal Abdi-Wali, a Somalia-born refugee who arrived in London as a seven-year-old speaking no English, has been elected as the new MP for Holborn and St Pancras. She won 45 per cent of the vote in the by-election, defeating Reform UK's frontrunner and other candidates.
A moment that pushed her to stand
Abdi-Wali had been hesitating over whether to stand in the by-election, but a moment friends say pushed her to apply came when Reform UK's home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf posted on X: “The frontrunner being foisted on the people of Holborn by Labour to replace the former prime minister Keir Starmer in our parliament was born in Somalia. Do you understand what’s happening?”
The post, accompanied by a picture of Abdi-Wali, was widely condemned as racism. Overnight, the woman who fled one of the most bloody wars ever waged became the new MP for Holborn and St Pancras.
An extraordinary journey
In her victory speech in the early hours of the morning, Abdi-Wali seemed to address Yusuf as well as those who had voted for her. “I hope this moment also says something about who gets to belong,” she said. “For people who look like me, I hope they see yourselves reflected in this place and know that they, their path too belongs here.”
“This is Camden and this is Britain… I want young people to know that their background does not determine the size of their dreams, and the public life is a place for them to make a difference.”
Giving back to the country that offered refuge
At 42, Abdi-Wali has already given back to the country that offered her refuge – a governor at two local schools and a volunteer and trustee at charities in North London. She became the first black woman to lead Camden Council.
She has spoken about how sport – and especially football – was the language she and her four brothers spoke to make friends when they had no English at primary school. “We all just spoke this universal language,” she said.
Abdi-Wali joined the Labour Party in 2015 because she was shocked by the rise in homelessness under the Tories. After becoming Camden council leader in May, she said: “Camden has been my home for 35 years. It is the place that gave my family sanctuary, that welcomed us, and that has shaped so much of who I am.
“I've spent so much of my life trying to give back through community work in public service, and now to represent Camden in Parliament is perhaps the greatest way I can continue that journey.”
