From a Southall classroom to the Mayor's chain

Councillor Faduma Mohamed was formally inaugurated as Mayor of Ealing at the annual meeting of the full council on Tuesday 26 May. She succeeds Councillor Anthony Kelly. Councillor Ghulam Murtaza will serve as her deputy.

Ealing News reports that she is the first British Somali woman wearing a hijab to hold the role.

A story that begins in a school

Councillor Mohamed arrived in Southall at the age of 11. She was fleeing war in Somalia and spoke no English. She credits the teachers at Dormers Wells High School who helped her find her feet. She was first elected as a Labour councillor for Southall West in 2022.

That arc, from a new arrival in a state school to the borough's first citizen, is one many British Somali families will recognise. It is also a quiet tribute to the teachers who make it possible. And it is a reminder of the value of English language support, which policymakers too often treat as an easy saving.

A mayoralty about unity

Her theme for the year is unity across Ealing's seven towns. Her chosen charities are Hope for Southall Street Homeless and Stepping Stones Together UK.

"Whether I am attending an event at a church, visiting a temple or mosque, or meeting someone experiencing homelessness, every interaction matters," she said at her inauguration.

She was equally clear about what the role means to her personally: "I want to make everyone proud and be an example to many communities especially girls and women who look like me."

Part of a pattern

In the space of a fortnight, Bristol and Ealing have both installed first citizens of Somali heritage, and Camden has appointed a council leader who arrived as a child refugee. They represent different parties, in different places. Taken together, they show a generation that came to Britain in the 1990s taking its place in civic life.

BSPAC congratulates the Mayor and wishes her a successful year.