It is a symbolic early boost for Starmer’s replacement Andy Burnham, who has shifted the ruling Labour Party to the left since taking charge and toughened the U.K.’s stance on Israel amid criticism that Starmer’s response to the war in Gaza was flat-footed.
The north London seat has been held by Labour since its creation in 1983 — but the left-wing Green Party poured significant resources into trying to get its high-profile leader elected.
Abdi-Wali got 45% of the vote – down four points on Labour’s 2024 general election result. Polanski won 33% of the votes cast — a 22-point leap on the party’s 2024 result, but still some way short of taking the traditionally-safe Labour seat.
A defeated Polanski – who had gambled on getting a toehold in parliament to boost the Greens’ profile – insisted he would stay on as party leader, telling broadcasters: “I’ve taken a loss tonight, but our movement is so much bigger than one election or one motion.”
His rival for the Green candidacy Hamza Chowdhury — a Green councillor in Camden — said: “This is a fucking win mate. Labour might be celebrating now but wait till 2029 when we wipe the floor with them.”
Abdi-Wali, who arrived in the U.K. as a child refugee from Somalia, said her victory was “deeply personal” and vowed to work with Burnham to tackle homelessness. She said she wants to see Thames Water — the giant private water company that serves her constituents — brought into public ownership.