Understand
Labour's Sagal Abdi-Wali wins Holborn and St Pancras by-election, seeing off Green challenge
Overview
Labour candidate Sagal Abdi-Wali has won the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, defeating Green Party leader Zack Polanski in a contest held early Friday morning. Abdi-Wali secured 45% of the vote, while Polanski and the Greens achieved their second-best Westminster by-election result with nearly 33% of the vote. Turnout was 38.6%, down from the 2024 general election.
Key points
- Labour's Sagal Abdi-Wali won the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, maintaining the seat for Labour.
- Green Party leader Zack Polanski finished second, securing nearly 33% of the vote.
- Labour received 45% of the vote, compared to 49% achieved by Sir Keir Starmer in the 2024 general election.
- Voter turnout was 38.6%, lower than the 54% recorded at the 2024 general election.
- The Conservatives finished in third place, beating Reform UK for the first time in an English by-election during this Parliament.
- Abdi-Wali stated that her priorities in Parliament will include housing, building affordable homes, and bringing Thames Water into public ownership.