Story perspectives

Labour selects Sagal Abdi-Wali for Holborn by-election

By Drooid · Sep 11, 2026, 10:30 AM UTC · How we work

Center

Starmer Resigns

Camden Council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali was selected as Labour’s candidate for the Holborn and St Pancras by-election on 8 October 2026.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski entered the Labour nomination race against councillor Hamza Chowdhury, a development described as a headache for Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Sir Keir Starmer announced on 1 September 2026 he would resign as MP.
The Green Party won 11 Camden seats in May 2026, including seven in Holborn and St Pancras.

Left

Abdi-Wali Selected

Camden leader Sagal Abdi-Wali was selected Labour’s candidate for the Holborn and St Pancras by-election on 8 October 2026.
Independent and Green support surged in the 2024 election as voters protested Labour’s perceived inadequate response to the Gaza war.
Abdi-Wali, councillor since 2022 and council leader May, featured on Labour leaflets within an hour.
Sir Keir Starmer resigned on 1 September 2026, Labour at 48.9%, independents 18.9% and Greens 10.4% in 2024.

History

Historical Context

The 1997 general election on 1 May 1997 gave Tony Blair’s Labour Party a landslide, winning 418 seats. That victory ended decades of Conservative rule and established Labour dominance in urban constituencies such as Camden. The 2026 Camden by-election, pitting Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali against Green challenger Zack Polanski, tests whether that historic hold is eroding.

1 of 3

Starmer Resigns

Camden Council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali was selected as Labour’s candidate for the Holborn and St Pancras by-election on 8 October 2026.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski entered the Labour nomination race against councillor Hamza Chowdhury, a development described as a headache for Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
Sir Keir Starmer announced on 1 September 2026 he would resign as MP.
The Green Party won 11 Camden seats in May 2026, including seven in Holborn and St Pancras.

1 / 3