Labour retains former seat of Keir Starmer in London byelection

Labour candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali won the Holborn and St Pancras by-election in north London. The Irish Times and TheJournal.ie reported that she defeated Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who was attempting to become a Member of Parliament. [2][5]

Abdi-Wali received 12,292 votes, or 45 per cent of the total vote, according to the Irish Times and TheJournal.ie. Polanski received 8,928 votes. The Irish Times reported that voter turnout stood at 39 per cent, which is lower than the 54 per cent recorded during the 2024 general election. [2][5]

Abdi-Wali is a Somalia-born refugee and leader of Camden council. The by-election in the north London constituency was triggered after former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer resigned his seat, as FTMQ News reported earlier. [2][6][11]

Starmer served as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom from 2024 until 2026 and was the MP for Holborn and St Pancras from 2015 to 2026. Andy Burnham has served as Prime Minister and Leader of the Labour Party since July 2026. The Irish Times reported that Abdi-Wali will enter Westminster when parliament returns from recess on Monday. [2][6][7]