In her victory speech at the count in Camden, Abdi-Wali, who came to the UK as a child refugee from Somalia, said her victory was a testament to the success of diversity in the borough.
“Whether you voted for me or not, my commitment to this community runs deep,” she said.
“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. This is Camden, and this is Britain.”
She added: “That is what this victory represents. Winning not by making people afraid of each other, but by bringing people together.”
Asked what had gone wrong for his party, Polanski said his party had increased its vote share in the seat since the last election, describing the result as “our second best by-election result in Green Party history”.
“I’m not going to sit here and pretend I’m not disappointed. No politician runs in a by-election and doesn’t want to win,” he told told BBC Radio 4’s Today.
“But at the same time, to see the growth in what was supposedly a safe Labour seat since 1983 [and] is now a marginal Labour seat, that’s clearly growth and next time we can get it over the line.”
Speaking to broadcasters earlier in the day, Polanski dismissed suggestions his leadership was under threat, saying: “Of course I can carry on as leader of the Green Party.”
He said voters had been “excited about our plans for rent controls, tackling the climate crisis and nationalising Thames Water”.
He continued: “So many people told me on the doorstep, so they want to give Andy Burnham a chance [as prime minister].
“Well, he’s got a chance now. Let’s see what he does with it.”
