Somali-Born Woman Who Came to UK as a Refugee Becomes Labour MP and Sends a Powerful Message to Britain After Taking Oath in Parliament
Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali has officially become a Member of Parliament after taking the oath of allegiance in the House of Commons following her victory in the Holborn and St Pancras by-election in London.
The new Labour MP was sworn in on Monday, October 12, 2026, as Parliament returned from its conference break. Her arrival means she can now begin carrying out her duties in the House of Commons and representing the people who elected her.
During the ceremony, Abdi-Wali held a copy of the Quran as she took the oath, promising to remain faithful to King Charles III and his successors under British law.
She was accompanied by fellow Labour MPs Natasha Irons and Liam Conlon, while Prime Minister Andy Burnham and other Labour MPs welcomed her into Parliament.
Her swearing-in came just days after she won the Holborn and St Pancras by-election, which took place on Thursday, October 8.
The election was organised after former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer resigned from Parliament in September 2026. Starmer had already stepped down as Prime Minister in July, with Andy Burnham taking over the leadership of the country.
Abdi-Wali secured 12,292 votes, representing around 45% of the total votes cast. Her closest challenger was Green Party leader Zack Polanski, who received 8,928 votes, or approximately 33%.
The Conservative candidate, Ewan Cameron, finished third with 1,922 votes, while Reform UK’s Pete Newman received 1,612 votes.
Labour won the election with a majority of 3,364 votes, although voter turnout was relatively low, with only around 39% of eligible voters taking part.
Abdi-Wali’s personal background has also attracted attention.
She was born in Somalia and came to Britain as a refugee with her family. Before becoming an MP, she had already built a political career in London and served as the leader of Camden Council.
She was first elected as a councillor for Camden Square in 2022 and became involved in issues affecting local residents, including housing, social care and the cost of living.
During her election campaign, she spoke about how Britain had welcomed her family when they needed safety and how she wanted to give something back to the community.
Her political experience includes working with residents, community organisations and local businesses to improve housing and public services in Camden.
According to Labour, she was involved in efforts to secure more than £670 million for improvements to social housing, alongside investment in making thousands of council homes more energy-efficient.
Her election also carries political importance because Holborn and St Pancras was previously represented by Keir Starmer.
Although Labour managed to keep the seat, the result showed that the Green Party had gained considerable support compared with the 2024 general election.
For Green Party leader Zack Polanski, the election was an opportunity to enter the House of Commons, but he was unable to defeat Labour’s candidate.
The result has also led to further discussion about the direction of both parties, particularly as Labour attempts to maintain support under Prime Minister Andy Burnham.
With the swearing-in ceremony now completed, Abdi-Wali has officially taken her place in Parliament. She will represent Holborn and St Pancras and take part in debates, parliamentary votes and discussions about issues affecting people across the United Kingdom.
Labour’s Sagal Abdi-Wali has taken the oath of allegiance and been sworn in as an MP after winning last week’s by-election in Holborn and St Pancras. pic.twitter.com/0S2kOSBtWt— iaelimited.com (@birminghamgist) October 12, 2026
Her journey from arriving in Britain as a refugee to becoming an elected Member of Parliament is now receiving attention as she begins this new chapter in her political career.
