MP Sagal Abdi-Wali makes housing her priority

Sagal Abdi-Wali won Thursday's Holborn and St Pancras by-election, becoming the first British Somali person to become an MP.

Abdi-Wali, 42, who came to the UK from Somalia as a child refugee with her family in the 1990s, grew up in Camden, worked for Camden Council as a housing officer and was elected as a councillor in 2022.

She became leader of the local authority in May and Labour made much of her local roots during the election campaign.

Speaking after her victory, Abdi-Wali pledged to work to make families' lives better, adding: "Homelessness is the thing that drove me into politics."

In her first BBC interview since her election, Abdi-Wali said: "Housing is a major crisis in Camden, across London, across the country. And so it's the thing I will work on every single day to make sure we're improving for people."

She said: "The only way we get out of the housing crisis is to build more social, affordable homes and also every other type of tenure.

"I'm really proud that the government is ready on that page with me and I'm going to make sure that I'm working on that from day one."

Abdi-Wali has also voiced support for bringing Thames Water back under public ownership.

Opportunities for young people are another priority for the new MP.

She said in her speech at the count: "My commitment to this community runs deep. I will work every day to do whatever I can, and all I can, to improve the life of you and your family.

"Camden gave me a community and instilled in me a belief in social justice, in equality and fairness.

"To now have the privilege of representing this same community in Parliament is something that I will carry with enormous pride and humility.

"I hope this moment also says something about who gets to belong. For people who look like me, I hope they see themselves reflected in this place, and know that their path too, belongs here."

Later, at a victory rally alongside Labour Party deputy leader Lucy Powell, Abdi-Wali told supporters that the issue of homelessness was "the thing that drove me into politics" and people sleeping rough should "know we have their backs".

Prime Minister Andy Burnham congratulated Abdi-Wali on a "fantastic campaign" and said he was looking forward to working with her.

Burnham's predecessor Sir Keir Starmer also welcomed the result telling Abdi-Wali: "I know you are a brilliant champion for our communities and will be a fantastic MP."

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