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 about the threat to his leadership following the result, Polanski told broadcasters: “Of course I can carry on as leader of the Green Party.
“Of course, I wanted to win. No-one runs an election to lose.”
But he added that 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.”
