Introducing the MP for Voice4Change England’s constituency, Sagal Abdi-Wali
Sagal Abdi-Wali came to Britain aged seven, fleeing war in Somalia. She was raised and educated in Camden, where she valued safe spaces such as local youth and community groups as a child. She has served as Leader of Camden Council since May 2026 and has represented Camden Square since 2022. During this period, she made history as Camden’s first Black female council leader.
On Thursday 8 October, she made history again by winning the 2026 Holborn and St Pancras by-election, home to our office’s constituency. By securing a majority of 3,364 votes over the Green Party’s leader, Zack Polanski, she also defeated candidates from the Conservative Party, Reform UK and Restore Britain. Succeeding former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer, Abdi-Wali is now the first British Somali woman to serve as an MP.
She has spent over a decade supporting her community through volunteering, serving as a trustee of local charities and working with community groups supporting young people. Abdi-Wali hopes her journey from refugee to Member of Parliament will inspire “people who look like me”, adding: “This is Camden and this is Britain.”
Her election comes at a time when immigration, asylum and belonging remain important issues for our communities. V4CE has engaged with key immigration-related issues, including the Windrush scandal, through our work as an independent grant administrator for the UK Home Office’s £500,000 Windrush Community Fund. We also monitor developments in immigration and asylum policy and use myth-busting and explainer posts to engage our audiences and members, challenge misinformation and highlight how migrants are often scapegoated for wider societal issues. Through our Hate Crime Prevention and Awareness workshops, we have worked with community groups to explore the links between race, religion, immigration and the rise in hate crime.
Abdi-Wali also credits Camden’s close-knit community values, its inclusivity and its commitment to social justice with shaping who she is alongside the socialist principles she openly says she believes in. She credits the borough for welcoming her family when they arrived as refugees. Tulip Siddiq, Labour MP for neighbouring Hampstead and Highgate, says of her: “Her love of Camden is so obvious, and people really value that. She’s very caring, very local, and she genuinely seems to have a passion for politics and public service.”
Prime Minister Andy Burnham congratulated Abdi-Wali on a "fantastic campaign" and said he was looking forward to working with her.
Sir Keir Starmer also welcomed the result, telling Abdi-Wali: “I know you are a brilliant champion for our communities and will be a fantastic MP.”
Homelessness is the issue that first drove her into politics. Before becoming a council leader, she was Camden’s cabinet member for Better Homes, where she secured a £670 million programme to improve social housing, which she describes as a proud achievement. This matters for a borough on the sharp end of London’s housing crisis – more than 8,000 people are on Camden’s housing waiting list with over 70% of families living in Camden Council homes, so a leader who understands local housing needs is crucial for Camden’s survival.
We are committed to addressing the UK’s national housing crisis through our housing policy work under the Horizons London Programme and our membership of the Brick by Brick and Renters’ Reform Coalition networks. We challenge the treatment of housing as a financial asset rather than a fundamental source of safety and belonging. Through our policy advocacy, research and engagement with government and sector partners, civil society and unions, we push for reforms that tackle racial inequalities in housing, strengthen renters’ rights and improve affordability, security and stability for our communities.
Abdi-Wali plans to continue her housing advocacy by delivering more social housing in Camden and tackling rough sleeping, including supporting Prime Minister Burnham’s pledge to offer everyone sleeping rough a route off the streets by Christmas, backed by £442 million in national funding. On her election, she vowed to make housing her priority by building more social and affordable homes across every type of tenure.
“I'll never forget what a social home here did for me and my family, and so this will always be a priority for me.” [source]
She is also prioritising reducing energy bills, as Camden has invested nearly £30 million to retrofit around 3,000 council homes. This is vital amid a cost-of-living crisis, with energy bills predicted to rise to a three-year high.
Citing the summer 2026 heatwaves and their impact on children’s schooling and older people’s health and wellbeing, she supports the UK’s transition to net zero. She has also backed climate initiatives such as the Camden Climate Investment, which reached its £1m target to fund local projects, including work to improve air quality around schools.
As a race equity organisation, we recognise that climate action must also address racial inequality. Through our Environmental Strategy, we examine the climate crisis through an anti-racist lens, advocate for a fairer distribution of wealth and resources, and seek to strengthen democratic participation. Through the Community Climate Action Engagement Partnership, we are working with UnLtd and the Centre for Energy Equality to support over 90 social entrepreneurs to engage racially minoritised communities in climate action, with grants of up to £8,000 and tailored support.
“My first issues to tackle are homelessness, ownership of Thames Water, affordable housing, and opportunities for our young people.” [source]
More than one million young people aged 16 to 24 were not in education, employment or training (NEET) in early 2026, the highest level in over 12 years. In the UK, 35% of young men aged 20 to 35 and 22% of young women live with their parents, up from 26% of young men in 2000. It is evident that Britain's Gen Z are facing severe intergenerational housing disparities, with only 19% managing to escape financial dependence on their families. Crucially, young people who are paying rent are overrepresented amongst Britain’s most financially vulnerable. As fewer young people can afford to purchase their first home, more young people are stuck in an increasingly unaffordable private rental market.
The national housing crisis is a particular problem in places like Camden, which is the third most expensive local authority in London. These disparities highlight the urgent need for dedicated, ring-fenced funding. Abdi-Wali has vowed to ensure young people have access to housing and further opportunities as she was involved in the Camley Street regeneration, which will deliver 401 new homes on brownfield land. Almost half will be affordable, including social rent homes for families on Camden’s housing register and intermediate rent homes for key workers. The scheme will also create over 1,000 jobs, with apprenticeships and work experience opportunities ring-fenced for local people, including placements for schoolchildren.
When she is not working in local government, or now in the House of Commons, she enjoys walking by Camden canal and is an avid Tottenham Hotspur fan.
We warmly welcome and congratulate Sagal Abdi-Wali on her election as MP for Holborn and St Pancras, where our story began 20 years ago. As we celebrate our 20th anniversary, it feels particularly meaningful to mark this milestone. In a distinctive, vibrant, and culturally rich hub of London where 40% of residents are from Black and Minoritised Ethnic communities, we hope to work closely with her on the issues facing Camden and the communities we serve.
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