Somali-born Sagal Abdi-Wali, the leader of Camden Council, has launched her campaign to become Labour’s next MP for Holborn and St Pancras, beginning a closely watched by-election contest to replace former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer.

Abdi-Wali faces a competitive race against Zack Polanski and the Green Party, with the by-election scheduled for Thursday, October 8.

The contest will elect a new Member of Parliament for the central London constituency following Starmer’s decision to step down as its MP.

According to the official Camden website, the deadline to register to vote is 11.59pm on Tuesday September 22, 2026, UK time.

Those eligible to vote include British or Irish citizens and qualifying Commonwealth citizens who meet the relevant electoral requirements.

Abdi-Wali, who was born in Somalia and came to Britain as a child refugee, has spent much of her life in Camden and has worked with local communities for more than a decade.

According to Labour, she has served the community as a volunteer and trustee for local charities, a school governor at two local schools, and as a local government officer at Camden Council.

Her political and community work has been shaped in part by her own experiences growing up in Camden.

Childhood in Camden

Labour party says she benefited as a child from opportunities and safe spaces provided by local youth services and community groups, and that she is now committed to working with organisations tackling inequality and improving the lives of people in the community.

Following her selection as Labour’s candidate, Abdi-Wali said she was honoured by the trust placed in her by local party members.

“I am delighted that local members have put their trust in me to be Labour’s candidate in the area I’ve grown up in.

“This place welcomed my family as refugees and gave us hope when we needed it most. I am so grateful to have had the opportunity to build a life here, serving our community as a councillor, school governor, and community activist. Now I am standing to say thank you and to give back the hope you gave me.

“Throughout this campaign, I promise to put our communities at the heart of everything I do, now and for the future. Together, we can make hope win.”

UK PM Burnham backs Abdi-Wali

The campaign received a high-profile boost on Thursday when UK Prime Minister Andy Burnham made a surprise visit to London and met Abdi-Wali in the Holborn and St Pancras constituency. Burnham praised Abdi-Wali’s record in Camden and told her that Labour wanted her to take that experience to Westminster.

“I was so pleased for you,” Mr Burnham told Ms Abdi-Wali. “I think you’ve been amazing in what you’ve achieved with Camden Council, but we want you in Parliament.”

The visit comes as Abdi-Wali steps up her campaign ahead of the October vote, with Labour seeking to retain a seat it has held for decades.

Her candidacy has drawn significant attention among Britain’s Somali and wider African communities, reflecting her progression from arriving in the country as a refugee child to serving as a senior figure in local government.

But the by-election will be fought on a wider range of local issues, with candidates expected to focus on housing, public services, the cost of living, inequality and the future of central London’s communities.

For Abdi-Wali, however, her campaign carries a personal message about the opportunities she says Camden gave her family after they arrived in Britain.

Now, she is seeking to take that experience from Camden Council to Parliament and to turn her own story of displacement, community support and public service into a bid for elected national office.