Somali-born politician Sagal Abdi-Wali has been elected to the UK House of Commons as the new Member of Parliament (MP) for Holborn and St Pancras in central London, following a by-election.
The 42-year-old has taken up her seat in the Commons after her win against ex-leader of the opposition Keir Starmer.
Abdi-Wali, who was born in Somalia, came first in last week’s by-election with 45 per cent of votes, beating Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who got 33 per cent.
The Conservatives got seven per cent, while anti-immigration Reform Party scored six per cent.
Abdi-Wali’s election has caused excitement in British Somali and wider African communities, as she has risen from being a child refugee to a national politician.
Abdi-Wali arrived in the UK as a child refugee and lived in the London borough of Camden for most of her life.
She worked in charities and schools before becoming leader of Camden Council, before joining Parliament.
Her campaigning for causes including homelessness and opportunities for young people has helped propel her to the post.
Abdi-Wali made homelessness and opportunities for the young a focus of her victory speech, saying it was a priority for her as she took up her post in the capital’s central parliamentary constituency.
Her rise has also captured the imagination of communities with African and Somali roots in Britain, as her personal story has been seen as a landmark in public life. Ex-leader of the opposition Andy Burnham, who succeeded Starmer as prime minister according to the source report, congratulated Abdi-Wali on her win and said he looked forward to working with her.
Abdi-Wali has entered Parliament after a by-election in which she beat the leader of the Green Party by 12 percentage points.
She faces an immediate challenge of representing constituents in Holborn and St Pancras, while pursuing the priorities highlighted in her campaign.
Her work in Parliament will also see her take a prominent role in the national conversation on housing, homelessness and opportunities for younger people in the UK.
