History has been made in the UK Parliament.Newly sworn in Labour MP Sagal Abdi-Wali has become the first Somali-born refugee woman elected to Westminster, in a moment celebrated far beyond her constituency.
The 42-year-old won the Holborn and St Pancras by election on October 8, taking the safe Labour seat vacated by former Prime Minister Keir Starmer.
She polled 12,292 votes, 45 percent of the vote, defeating Green Party leader Zack Polanski who came second with 8,928 votes.
She was sworn in on Monday, October 12, taking the oath of allegiance to King Charles III while holding the Quran.Abdi-Wali’s story is deeply personal.
Born in Somalia in 1984, she arrived in Britain as a child refugee in the early 1990s, fleeing civil war.
Her family settled in Camden, north London, where she grew up, worked as a housing officer, volunteered for local charities, and served as a school governor.
She was elected as a Camden councillor in 2022 and in May 2026 became leader of Camden Council, its first Black woman leader.
She said her election shows that belonging has no expiry date, and that refugee children can grow up to lead.
