We’ll be honest: it’s rare that we’d ever really pay attention to news of a new Lord Mayor being sworn in. However, when there’s an official election picture as cool as this one, you can’t help but sit up and look:
Presenting: Magid Magid, the new Lord Mayor for Sheffield – and as well as having the best work picture of all time, he’s making history as the city’s youngest person to take on the position, and the first Green Party councillor to hold office too.
His photo went viral earlier this month, and since then, there’s been a whirlwind of interest and We caught up with him briefly over the phone, and you’ll be glad to hear, he’s just as friendly and charismatic as his picture suggests!
So, Magid, what does a ‘Lord Mayor’ actually do?
Magid Magid: The Lord Mayor is basically the main ambassador of the city – so I represent Sheffield locally, nationally and internationally, as kind of the city’s main figurehead. Also, once a month Sheffield will have a full council meeting, where all the motions get passed – the Lord Mayor chairs that meeting. The beauty of this job is that you can make it what you want! The way I see it, I’m blessed to have this great platform to do whatever I want to do.
“I’m happy to have one whole year now to really make a difference.”
It’s so significant to see a black person, a person of colour in a role like this – what does it mean to be in a role like this?
MM: It’s amazing. Imagery and representation is so powerful. In Sheffield, we’re really proud of doing things differently – the picture went viral because most people’s first instinct when thinking of someone in this role would be older and of white descent. There are so many benefits with having someone like myself in this position: to be able to innovate and connect with a wide range of people. The amount of messages I’ve received from all over the world has been overwhelming – just from that one picture! I’m happy to have one whole year now to really make a difference.
Lord Mayor @MagicMagid is taking part in a charity bike ride to raise money for the #Sheffield Memorial Park in 🇫🇷. Today he got some help from TV's @thequeenmehreen & @russ_cycle_shed, which is loaning the LM a bike for a year 👍🚴♀️ More here: 👇https://t.co/JZv2FQ5IoT pic.twitter.com/Kf4T9v44gv
— SheffieldCityCouncil (@SheffCouncil) May 29, 2018
How and why did you first get involved with politics and local government?
MM: I became involved with student politics, first – and I was definitely about the issues, rather than party politics, so things like eradicating hidden costs, and standing up for free education. And then, during the rise of UKIP in 2014, I thought I really needed to get involved, and make a contribution. The Green Party were really active where I lived, and after doing research, I found that I shared a lot of their morals and core beliefs.
In mainstream parties, it’s really the people on the top who decide everything. In the Green Party, it’s the members who decide what the party policy is. The people on the top speak on it – it seems more honest to me. And we haven’t got a party whip – I don’t have to be told how to vote, so we can genuinely say that we are the party in Sheffield that really represents the people, and putting the people before the party.
You were born in Somalia, now you’re the Lord Mayor of Sheffield. Where is home to you?
MM: Home is wherever I choose to make it. As long as I’ve got loved ones, and a bond – that’s home for me.
Keep up with all of Magid’s work on Twitter: @MagicMagid
