Sagal Abdi-Wali's Holborn and St Pancras by-election victory speech in full: 'This place gave me hope'
New Labour MP Sagal Abdi-Wali has declared a victory for diversity after winning the Holborn and St Pancras by-election.
Ms Abdi-Wali, who won a majority of 3,364 over Green Party leader Zack Polanski in second place , said she hoped that “people like (her)” would feel like they also “belong here”.
The leader of Camden Council succeeds Sir Keir Starmer , who resigned from the seat in September after stepping down as prime minister.
Her comments came after Reform UK’s home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf attacked her candidacy as a British-Somalian shortly after the by-election was called.
Firstly, I'd like to start by thanking the returning officer and all of the staff at Camden Council for facilitating this process in a really diligent way.
Throughout all of this, I'd like to thank all my fellow candidates. Standing for public office takes courage and regardless of our political differences, that courage is what keeps the heart in our democracy beating.
I'm deeply honoured that our community in Camden has trusted in me to be the next member of Parliament for Holborn and St Pancras.
From the bottom of my heart, I want to say thank you, and whether you vote for me or not, my commitment to this community runs deep.
Camden Council leader Sagal Abdi-Wali after being declared the winner of the Holborn and St Pancras by-election PA Wire I promise that I will work every day to do whatever I can and all I can to improve your life and to improve the life of you and your family.
This moment means something deeply personal to me, to represent the place that gave me a home and my family.
A home gave me opportunity and helped me shape and help shape the person I am today.
Camden gave me a community and instilled in me a belief in social justice, inequality and in fairness, and to now have the privilege of representing this same community in parliament is something that I will carry with enormous pride and humility.
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