Somalia child refugee is Labour’s front-runner in battle for Starmer seat

By the Editorial Team · Thursday, September 3, 2026

Labour is set to nominate Sagal Abdi-Wali, a Somali-born Camden council leader and close ally of Keir Starmer, to contest the upcoming Holborn & St Pancras by-election, while the Green Party faces internal debate over whether to back leader Zack Polanski or a British-Palestinian independent candidate. The contest highlights growing divisions within the Greens and signals a challenging race to succeed a high-profile seat previously held by the Labour leader.

The upcoming by-election in Holborn & St Pancras, the parliamentary seat formerly held by Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer, is shaping up to be a competitive contest featuring candidates from the Labour and Green parties, as well as potential independent challengers.

Labour’s leading candidate is understood to be Sagal Abdi-Wali, a Somali-born former child refugee who arrived in the UK in the early 1990s. Abdi-Wali currently serves as leader of Camden council, having been elected as a Labour councillor in 2022. She also previously chaired Sir Keir Starmer’s constituency Labour Party and is regarded locally as a close ally of the former prime minister. Since assuming council leadership in May, she has emphasized a commitment to social justice and meaningful change. Senior Labour sources indicate that the party views the seat as a potentially difficult contest.

The Green Party’s sitting leader, Zack Polanski, is widely expected to seek the Green nomination for the seat, following his earlier indication that he would “almost certainly” stand for Parliament if a London vacancy arose. Polanski has actively engaged local campaigners in the area and characterized the by-election as a “referendum on ending rip-off Britain,” highlighting his record as Green Party leader and framing the contest as an opportunity for change from the legacy of Starmer’s tenure.

However, Polanski’s candidacy faces internal challenges within the Green Party. Leaked communications reveal that some Green members and activists are advocating for a British-Palestinian candidate to contest the seat or for the party to support an independent pro-Gaza candidate, Andrew Feinstein, who finished second to Starmer in the last general election. A public chat group called “Greens for Palestine,” which includes several party members and is supported by the deputy leader of the Green Party, has been central to these discussions. Some members in the group argue that a Palestinian candidate challenging Labour in Starmer’s former constituency would be symbolically and politically significant.

Former Green council candidate Matt Barker has encouraged British-Palestinian members to consider standing for the seat and has suggested collaboration with Feinstein to enhance the chances of unseating Labour. While the Greens have not made an official stance on these proposals, the discourse reflects divisions within the party regarding the best strategy in Holborn & St Pancras.

Polanski has neither confirmed nor ruled out his candidacy firmly but reiterated that the Green Party offers a “real plan for real hope and change,” positioning Labour’s record under Starmer as one of “shame.” Labour is expected to select its candidate by midweek, while the Greens aim to finalize their choice by the end of the following week.

The by-election presents a complex political landscape in a high-profile London constituency, with multiple parties and independent figures vying to fill the seat vacated by one of the UK’s most prominent politicians.

This article was reported by synthesizing coverage from multiple independent news outlets to present a balanced, unbiased account. Read about our editorial standards. Spotted an error? Let us know.