A councillor elected to be lord mayor of Westminster, in central London, has become the first Muslim and youngest ever person in the role.
Losing Westminster Council to the opposition Labour Party in May's UK local elections was one of the highest-profile Conservative Party losses on a bad night across the country for the Tories.
Now Hamza Taouzzale, 22, of Moroccan heritage, who was born in Queen's Park — the Westminster area he represents as councillor — is making history.
“I'm the first Muslim Lord Mayor of Westminster, so the first person who's not from a stereotypically white background,” he said.
Westminster has also for the first time appointed an imam to be council chaplain.
“This is a real honour and a privilege and a total surprise,” Mr Taouzzale said.
His grandmother moved from Morocco to London and the Lisson Green housing estate where Mr Taouzzale grew up. He recently completed his master's degree in global affairs at King’s College London.
“This is a job that’s above politics, so you have to keep the office out of the day-to-day council business, otherwise it will lose its importance,” he said.
“But I do want to get out far more in the community, to be more visible in areas where the lord mayor isn’t normally seen.
“A lot of people don’t know what the lord mayor is or does and I really want to change that during my year in office.”
He still has to decide what his main charity will be but said he was keen on helping local youth charities.
“I want to open this up and get people from the community to join me at events,” he said.
Another change at Westminster council is the Lord Mayor’s chaplain will for the very first time be an imam.
Kabir Uddin, who runs an Islamic school and is chaplain at HMP Wormwood Scrubs prison will take on the role.
The incoming lord mayor, who was raised on the Lisson Green estate, said: “I think I’m a bit of rarity among lord mayors in that I was actually born and brought up in the city.
“A lot of people come here for work and settle in Westminster and then take an interest in politics and join the council.
“I think growing up here gives you a closer connection to the city and its people. And as an ordinary working-class local, I especially want to show young people that there are opportunities out there for them and to make a difference.”
Mr Taouzzale said the appointment is the highlight of a career that started just six years ago — when he became an MP in the UK's Youth Parliament.
After a year, he joined the Labour Party and worked hard on being selected as a candidate in Queen’s Park, replacing Alderman Barrie Taylor.
He was elected as a Westminster City councillor in 2018, becoming its youngest-ever member.
Who's who in Yemen conflict
Houthis: Iran-backed rebels who occupy Sanaa and run unrecognised government
Yemeni government: Exiled government in Aden led by eight-member Presidential Leadership Council
Southern Transitional Council: Faction in Yemeni government that seeks autonomy for the south
Habrish 'rebels': Tribal-backed forces feuding with STC over control of oil in government territory
The years Ramadan fell in May
Classification of skills
A worker is categorised as skilled by the MOHRE based on nine levels given in the International Standard Classification of Occupations (ISCO) issued by the International Labour Organisation.
A skilled worker would be someone at a professional level (levels 1 – 5) which includes managers, professionals, technicians and associate professionals, clerical support workers, and service and sales workers.
The worker must also have an attested educational certificate higher than secondary or an equivalent certification, and earn a monthly salary of at least Dh4,000.
Our legal consultant
Name: Dr Hassan Mohsen Elhais
Position: legal consultant with Al Rowaad Advocates and Legal Consultants.
The President's Cake
Director: Hasan Hadi
Starring: Baneen Ahmad Nayyef, Waheed Thabet Khreibat, Sajad Mohamad Qasem
Rating: 4/5
10 tips for entry-level job seekers
- Have an up-to-date, professional LinkedIn profile. If you don’t have a LinkedIn account, set one up today. Avoid poor-quality profile pictures with distracting backgrounds. Include a professional summary and begin to grow your network.
- Keep track of the job trends in your sector through the news. Apply for job alerts at your dream organisations and the types of jobs you want – LinkedIn uses AI to share similar relevant jobs based on your selections.
- Double check that you’ve highlighted relevant skills on your resume and LinkedIn profile.
- For most entry-level jobs, your resume will first be filtered by an applicant tracking system for keywords. Look closely at the description of the job you are applying for and mirror the language as much as possible (while being honest and accurate about your skills and experience).
- Keep your CV professional and in a simple format – make sure you tailor your cover letter and application to the company and role.
- Go online and look for details on job specifications for your target position. Make a list of skills required and set yourself some learning goals to tick off all the necessary skills one by one.
- Don’t be afraid to reach outside your immediate friends and family to other acquaintances and let them know you are looking for new opportunities.
- Make sure you’ve set your LinkedIn profile to signal that you are “open to opportunities”. Also be sure to use LinkedIn to search for people who are still actively hiring by searching for those that have the headline “I’m hiring” or “We’re hiring” in their profile.
- Prepare for online interviews using mock interview tools. Even before landing interviews, it can be useful to start practising.
- Be professional and patient. Always be professional with whoever you are interacting with throughout your search process, this will be remembered. You need to be patient, dedicated and not give up on your search. Candidates need to make sure they are following up appropriately for roles they have applied.
Arda Atalay, head of Mena private sector at LinkedIn Talent Solutions, Rudy Bier, managing partner of Kinetic Business Solutions and Ben Kinerman Daltrey, co-founder of KinFitz
Types of bank fraud
1) Phishing
Fraudsters send an unsolicited email that appears to be from a financial institution or online retailer. The hoax email requests that you provide sensitive information, often by clicking on to a link leading to a fake website.
2) Smishing
The SMS equivalent of phishing. Fraudsters falsify the telephone number through “text spoofing,” so that it appears to be a genuine text from the bank.
3) Vishing
The telephone equivalent of phishing and smishing. Fraudsters may pose as bank staff, police or government officials. They may persuade the consumer to transfer money or divulge personal information.
4) SIM swap
Fraudsters duplicate the SIM of your mobile number without your knowledge or authorisation, allowing them to conduct financial transactions with your bank.
5) Identity theft
Someone illegally obtains your confidential information, through various ways, such as theft of your wallet, bank and utility bill statements, computer intrusion and social networks.
6) Prize scams
Fraudsters claiming to be authorised representatives from well-known organisations (such as Etisalat, du, Dubai Shopping Festival, Expo2020, Lulu Hypermarket etc) contact victims to tell them they have won a cash prize and request them to share confidential banking details to transfer the prize money.
Mohammed bin Zayed Majlis
Turkish Ladies
Various artists, Sony Music Turkey
More from Aya Iskandarani
