Sagal Abdi-Wali
British politician (born 1984)
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Sagal Abdi-Wali (born 1984)[1] is a British Labour politician who has served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Holborn and St Pancras since the 2026 by-election. She has served as Leader of Camden London Borough Council since May 2026, representing Camden Square since 2022. She is the first Black woman to lead the council.
- Pat Callaghan
- Adam Harrison
Sagal Abdi-Wali | |
|---|---|
| Assumed office 8 October 2026 | |
| Preceded by | Keir Starmer |
| Majority | 3,364 (12.4%) |
| Leader of the Camden London Borough Council | |
Outgoing | |
| Assumed office 20 May 2026 | |
| Deputy |
|
| Preceded by | Richard Olszewski |
| Member of Camden London Borough Council for Camden Square | |
Outgoing | |
| Assumed office 6 May 2022 Serving with Patricia Leman | |
| Preceded by | Ward established |
| Majority | 60 (2.9%) |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1984 (age 41–42) Somalia |
| Party | Labour |
Early life and career
Born in Somalia, Abdi-Wali arrived in the United Kingdom as a seven-year-old child refugee in the early 1990s, fleeing the Somali Civil War. Her mother, a trained lawyer in Somalia, fled with her and her four brothers; her father joined them later. The family settled in Gospel Oak, Camden, where she has lived for approximately 35 years.[2][3] She told the Camden New Journal: "Camden has been my home since I moved here with my family as a child refugee, fleeing war-torn Somalia. This new home is where I was raised and educated."[4]
She worked as a local government officer at Camden Council before entering elected office, and joined the Labour Party in 2015. She served as chair of the Holborn and St Pancras Constituency Labour Party from 2019, and was elected chair of Labour's National Women's Committee in October 2023, re-elected in 2026 with the backing of Labour to Win.[5][3] She is a school governor at two local schools and a charity trustee.[6]
Political career
Camden London Borough Council
Abdi-Wali was first elected as a councillor for Camden Square ward in the 2022 local elections. In May 2024, she was appointed Cabinet Member for Better Homes, with responsibility for housing, building safety, and adult social care.[7][6]
According to the council, in this role she "drove forward the Council's work to ensure people across Camden are living in safe, warm, well-maintained homes," overseeing a £670 million programme for improvements to social housing stock and a £30 million initiative to retrofit approximately 3,000 council homes to improve energy efficiency.[6][8] She also helped lead Camden's work towards achieving Borough of Sanctuary accreditation in 2024.[6]
In May 2026, she was re-elected to her seat by a margin of approximately 60 votes, having won by over 1,000 votes in 2022.[9][3] On 20 May 2026, she was elected Leader of Camden Council, becoming the borough's first Black woman council leader. In the first round of voting among the Labour group, the result was a tie; she won the second round by one vote.[7][10] Her predecessor, Georgia Gould, had served as director of the think tank Labour Together from 2020 to 2024.[5]
Housing and planning record
Analysis published by Tribune magazine in October 2026 presented a critical assessment of Abdi-Wali's tenure as housing cabinet member. It noted that by 2025, 678 social-rent homes had been built under the 15-year Community Investment Plan, while 492 council-rented homes had been demolished — a net increase of 182 social rent homes. In the 2025–26 financial year, 84 affordable homes were started, compared to a London borough average of 290. The social housing waiting list rose to 8,380 households in 2026, an increase of 9 percent in one year.[9]
In August 2026, Camden's planning committee approved a request by developer Landsec to reduce the number of affordable homes at the O2 Centre site from 570 to 330. The decision followed changes in national planning guidance. Landsec reported pre-tax profits of £346 million for the year ending March 2026. Abdi-Wali stated in response to concerns about housing delivery that the council was securing affordable housing through multiple schemes and that "discussing hypothetical risks is not helpful."[9]
Homelessness and rough sleeping
Abdi-Wali has stated that her priorities include "ending rough sleeping on our streets" and ensuring "a safe, secure home" for all residents.[11] She told the Camden New Journal she was inspired to enter politics after seeing homelessness rise in the borough.[12]
Supporters point to several initiatives introduced during her tenure. As Cabinet Member for Better Homes, she oversaw the "Better Homes" programme, securing £670 million to improve and upgrade Camden's social housing stock.[8] She co-authored and introduced the council's Draft Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Strategy, which emphasises addressing root causes including poverty, high housing costs, and domestic abuse through integrated health and housing services.[2] She has publicly backed the UK government's pledge to offer every rough sleeper a bed by Christmas and has engaged with local youth homelessness services such as the New Horizons Youth Centre.[13] Her campaign highlights support for estate regeneration projects including Camley Street, planned to deliver 401 new homes with nearly half at affordable or social rent levels.[2]
Critics argue that these measures have not translated into improved outcomes. Recorded rough sleeping in Camden rose by 133% between May and June 2026, reaching 240 people, despite the council having spent £39 million on homelessness services in the 2024–25 financial year.[2] In October 2026, the grassroots homelessness group Streets Kitchen expressed "extreme anger" after Abdi-Wali did not attend or send a representative to a dedicated hustings event on housing and temporary accommodation, citing prior commitments.[2] A Housing Ombudsman investigation published shortly after she became council leader found a 91% maladministration rate for housing repairs in Camden, compared with a national average of 73%, prompting critics to link housing management failures to homelessness pressures.[2]
Office for National Statistics data for the year to mid-2025 showed Camden experiencing the second-largest percentage population decline (−1.8%) of any local authority in England and Wales, exceeded only by the Isles of Scilly. Census data recorded a 4.7% fall in Camden's usual resident population between 2011 and 2021, from 220,300 to 210,100. Analyses have linked the decline to high housing costs and the loss of affordable family housing.[9]
Gaza and council pension fund
In January 2025, a petition signed by over 4,000 residents calling on the council's £2.4 billion pension fund to divest from companies identified by the Palestine Solidarity Campaign as complicit in the Israeli occupation was debated by the council. Abdi-Wali did not speak during the debate. The matter was referred to the Pension Committee, which commissioned an external review. By mid-2026, new national legislation had been introduced, and the council stated there were no plans to reconsider the motion.[9][14]
Abdi-Wali did not sign the Palestine Solidarity Campaign's 2025 candidate pledge. Her first public comment on the issue came in September 2026, when she told The Guardian that "if Greens stir up community antagonisms over Gaza that would be disgraceful."[9] She later told the Camden New Journal it was "obviously inaccurate" to say the council did not feel strongly about the issue, and directed attention to national government policy.[14]
2026 by-election campaign
Seen as an ally of Keir Starmer,[15] she was selected as the candidate at a hustings meeting on 9 September.[16] triggered by the resignation of former Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer. The selection meeting was closed to media and no vote figures were released.[5] Her campaign emphasised themes of hope, community cohesion, and local delivery.[8][13] She received national attention when Zia Yusuf, the Reform UK spokesperson on home affairs, made remarks widely described as racist toward her.[10] Her principal opponent was Zack Polanski, leader of the Green Party of England and Wales.[17] The Middle East Eye has reported that Abdi-Wali "is unpopular among local pro-Palestine activists because Camden council has resisted calls to divest from companies allegedly complicit in Israel's Gaza genocide".[18]
Reception and differing perspectives
Critics, including Tribune magazine, have argued that Abdi-Wali was part of a factional control of the local party, pointing to the blocking of several councillors from re-standing ahead of the 2022 elections — a process the Camden New Journal described at the time as "unprecedented." They also cite housing delivery figures, the rising waiting list, and her silence on Gaza as areas of concern.[5][9]
Supporters highlight her background as a refugee and her status as the first Black woman to lead the council. The Labour Party states she has delivered significant investment in council housing and energy efficiency improvements.[8] Abdi-Wali has described her approach as focused on "community cohesion" and local service delivery.[4][14]
Personal life
Abdi-Wali lives in the Gospel Oak area of Camden. She is a school governor at two local schools and a charity trustee.[6]