Agenda item

To receive notice from the Mayor regarding the appointment of a Councillor of the Borough to be Deputy Mayor, in accordance with Standing Order 27(b).

Councillor Agha, taking over as Chair of the meeting, thanked members for his nomination and appointment as Mayor.  Prior to the Mayor announcing the appointment of his Deputy Mayor Councillor Georgiou, in raising a point of order, felt it important to recognise that whilst the Local Government Act 1972 enabled the Mayor of a London Borough to appoint a Deputy Mayor there was no obligation on the Mayor to make such an appointment.  Councillor Georgiou therefore urged the Mayor to carefully consider the basis of any appointment, especially if that involved the position being offered to a member of the Conservative Group as part of any agreement between the Groups, which it was not felt reflected the outcome of the recent borough election.

In response, Councillor Kansagra (as a Point of Order) challenged the basis of the comments made by Councillor Georgiou, reminding members that these had preceded any announcement being made by the Mayor.

Having noted the comments made, the Mayor moved on (without further comment) to announce the appointment of Councillor Kanta Mistry to serve as Deputy Mayor for the 2026 - 2027 Municipal Year

At this stage in proceedings the Mayors Chain of Office and robes were exchanged between the outgoing and newly appointed Mayor and also Deputy Mayor.

Councillor Agha then formally returned thanks for his appointment.  Starting by welcoming all guests, he highlighted his pride in being nominated as Mayor and thanked all members for their trust, confidence and faith in appointing him to take on the role as first citizen of the borough.

Highlighting the privilege he felt in being appointed as Mayor, Councillor Agha began by reflecting on his personal journey which had involved his family first arriving in the United Kingdom in 2004 from Saudi Arabia, with their roots in Pakistan, where they had initially faced uncertainty before thankfully being welcomed with friendship, opportunity and a sense of belonging by the local community in Brent.

In seeking to build a future for their children, Councillor Agha recalled a formative experience which had involved the provision of support, particularly from the late Councillor Harbhajan Singh and his wife Mrs Kamal Singh (fondly referred to as Kamal Ji) in enabling his children to secure local primary school places.  Councillor Agha advised it was this act of kindness which had demonstrated the value and power of public service and community spirit which had taken forward as key principles in driving and inspiring his own involvement in local politics based on a desire to give something back to the community that had given so much to both him and his family.  Councillor Agha was also proud to highlight the achievements in relation to his professional and academic path, with these identified as key in driving his passion about the importance of education, which he also hoped to be able to share during his time as Mayor given the way the way this could also create opportunities and improve life chances.

Reflecting on his time serving as a Councillor since his election in 2014, Councillor Agha outlined the privilege he felt at being able to serve the residents of Brent acknowledging those who had initially encouraged him to stand for election, including Dawn Butler MP.  Noting the importance of this support and belief shown in him, he felt it was this experience which had made a real difference in helping to shape his understanding of leadership, resilience and the importance of community relationships.

Highlighting his commitment and focus on the future, Councillor Agha advised of the intention to use his role as Mayor to celebrate Brent as a welcoming borough bursting with pride and diversity with every street having its own storeys, hopes and dreams involving people from different backgrounds, faiths and cultures living side by side with respect and understanding. As a result, he felt Brent’s strength lay not only in its diverse and varied communities but also in the mutual respect, acceptance and compassion shown between residents, which he advised he was committed to champion during his time as Mayor.  Illustrating the opportunities provided to support this approach through anecdotal experiences during his time campaigning as a councillor, he highlighted what in his view made local government so special in terms of the close connections and relationships it was possible to build and develop in seeking to bring communities closer together.  The example of his appointment as Mayor, having arrived in the country as an outsider, was cited as evidence of what could be achieved when welcomed as a neighbour, friend and eventually representative of the community.

Looking ahead, Councillor Agha then outlined the aims for his mayoralty in seeking to bring people together, support the Council’s overall vision and objectives and serve all residents with fairness, dignity and respect, recognising Brent as the place that had given him and his family its chance and which he was proud to call home.  At the same time, the opportunity was also taken to recognise his fellow councillors and colleagues for the work they undertook to support local residents, with particularly reference made to Councillor Muhammed Butt and Councillor Ryan Hack (as former Mayor) along with his close friend and work colleague Sindhu Balakrishnan whose dedication and friendship, he advised, had inspired him throughout his journey.

Prior to concluding, Councillor Agha took the opportunity to pay specific tribute to his wide (Sunbal) for the strength, support and encouragement she had given him throughout his journey highlighting her patience and sacrifice during his time in public office and when navigating their journey during its more difficult times.  Highlighting his gratitude for her love and support, the Mayor ended by reaffirming his pride in Brent as a diverse and welcoming borough and his commitment to its future, advising that he would be announcing the organisations he intended to support through the Mayor’s Charity at a future meeting.