Decades of volunteering combined with years of active local party politics propelled Sagal Abdi-Wali to victory over Green leader Zack Polanski in the recent by-election for Holborn and St Pancras. For Abdi-Wali, being elected to replace Keir Starmer in the north London constituency is "deeply personal," she stated in her acceptance speech.

A Personal Journey

The 43-year-old has lived in the area since the 1990s, when, as a seven-year-old, she fled war-torn Somalia with her mother and four brothers. They eventually settled in Gospel Oak in Camden, which largely falls within the constituency. Abdi-Wali hopes her journey from refugee to member of parliament will inspire "people who look like me." She emphasized, "This is Camden and this is Britain."

Deep Community Roots

While she represents many in the diverse and youthful neighborhood, Abdi-Wali is also a Labour party insider. Her decades of volunteering in the community dovetailed with years of active local party politics, culminating in her election to the borough council in 2022. She became the Labour cabinet member responsible for housing two years later and was elected the first Black female leader of Camden council in May. Additionally, she chaired the local constituency party for four years.

These deep party and community roots helped explain how Abdi-Wali was selected from a long list of more than 100 candidates to fight the seat for Labour after Starmer’s resignation last month. Friends noted that these connections were key in overcoming the challenge from Polanski.

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"She genuinely is deeply rooted in so many different parts of the constituency," said a close friend involved in her campaign. "I suppose all MPs like to think they are, but with Sagal it is the real deal."