Labour holds Keir Starmer's old seat as Greens make strong gain

Summarised from 2 outlets · Updated 9 Oct, 07:43 · Archive

Labour has held the Holborn and St Pancras by-election with Sagal Abdi-Wali winning 45 per cent of the vote.

Labour has held the Holborn and St Pancras by-election with Sagal Abdi-Wali, leader of Camden Council, winning 45 per cent of the vote. Green Party co-leader Zack Polanski finished second with 33 per cent, whilst the Conservative candidate Ewan Cameron came third. Abdi-Wali's majority stood at 3,364 votes. The Greens achieved a significant 13-point swing and a 22.4 per cent rise in vote share. The seat became vacant after former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer stepped down. Holborn and St Pancras has been held by Labour since its creation in 1983.

Abdi-Wali, a 42-year-old who came to Britain as a young child from Somalia, described the result as a victory for unity. She said: "I hope this moment also says something about who gets to belong. For people who look like me, I hope they see themselves reflected in this place and know that their path too belongs here." She added that the victory represented "winning not by making people afraid of each other, but by bringing people together." The Evening Standard reports that Reform UK's home affairs spokesperson had attacked her candidacy before the election, posting on social media that she "was born in Somalia".

How it is being reported

• Labour's new Holborn MP declares victory for 'hope' over fear and division after by-election winSagal Abdi-Wali won the poll by more than 3,000 votes, with Green Party leader Zack Polanski coming in a distant secondEvening Standard · 9 Oct, 07:26
• Labour victory in Keir Starmer's old seat overshadowed by Green Party surgeLabour has held Holborn and St Pancras in a closely watched by-election, with Sagal Abdi-Wali securing victory for the party.This Is Local London · 9 Oct, 07:17

In this story: Sagal Abdi-Wali · Zack Polanski · Keir Starmer · Holborn and St Pancras · Labour · Green Party · Camden Council

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