Councilor Sagal Abdi-Wali was elected to lead a north London council in May this year but could soon step down from her role if she receives the nomination and wins the parliamentary seat vacated by former Labor leader Sir Keir Starmer.
Sir Keir resigned from his seat last week, saying now was the “right time” to step down and “pass the torch to a successor”, despite promising to remain as a backbench MP until the next general election in 2029.
Here’s everything we know about Ms Abdi-Wali:
Sagal Abdi-Wali first came to Britain in the early 1990s as a child refugee fleeing the civil war in Somalia.
First elected as a local councilor in 2022, Ms Abdi-Wali made history in May by becoming Camden’s first black female leader.
She has previously spoken about her experience of fleeing Somalia, telling website LabourList in 2019: “Camden has been my home since I moved here with my family as a child refugee fleeing war-torn Somalia.
“In this new home I was reared and educated; I now serve on the council and volunteer with local community groups and charities.
“This is an area imbued with similar social values, progressivism and inclusivity, which have shaped who I am and the socialist principles to which I adhere.”
What do we know about her political career?
She was first elected as a member of the Camden Square District Labor Council in 2022.
Before becoming leader, she was a member of the Home Improvement Cabinet, managing housing and area development.
She also helped pave the way for Camden to achieve Sanctuary District status in 2024.
Having replaced Georgia Gould as leader of Camden Council in 2026, she is now tipped to be the Labor Party’s front-runner in the Holborn and St Pancras by-elections.
On becoming leader of Camden Council in May, Ms Abdi-Wali said: “Camden has been my home for 35 years. It is a place that has given my family refuge, that has welcomed us and has shaped so much of who I am, what I stand for and what has inspired my commitment to public service and to working for the community that has taken us in.”
“Throughout my career, I have had the privilege of working with many different communities in our area, and through this I have gained invaluable insight into what makes Camden such a unique place. I have seen not only the diversity, strength and resilience of our residents, but also the challenges and deep inequalities they continue to face.
“And it is because of this experience that I am willing to work day and night to fight for social justice and create meaningful change that will support our community’s access to better opportunities, allowing them to have a better and brighter future.”
What sparked the controversy surrounding Zia Yusuf’s comments?
After Ms Abdi-Wali became favorite to become Labor’s nominee following Sir Keir Starmer’s resignation, Reform UK’s Zia Yousuf made a comment on social media site X that was quickly criticized across the political spectrum as “racist”.
Mr Yusuf wrote: “The leader whom the Labor Party foisted on the people of Holborn to replace former Prime Minister Keir Starmer in our Parliament was born in Somalia. Do you understand what’s happening?”
During an interview with Sky News, Business Secretary Jonathan Reynolds condemned Yusuf’s remarks as “pretty blatant racism”, noting that Ms Abdi-Wali came to the UK as a child and has dedicated her career to working to improve the lives of people in her local community.
The comments even caused a rift within Reform UK.
Reports from the Reform Party’s annual conference in Birmingham showed several senior party figures were furious with Yusuf, The Observer reported.
Party sources expressed disappointment that his tweet had overshadowed their policy statements, with some local councilors and party insiders reportedly calling on Nigel Farage to remove him from office.
Some noted the irony of his attacks on Ms Abdi-Wali, given that Mr Yusuf is himself the son of Sri Lankan immigrants.
