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Interview/ Tajammul Latif
A delegation of notable people paid a curtesy call on the Lord Mayor of Manchester Councillor Paul Andrews in the Lord Mayor’s Suite Manchester. The delegation included Nasrallah Khan Moghal, Mahboob Elahi Butt, Pervaiz Masih, Tajammul Gurmani, Sabira Naheed, Sobia Amber, and Aqsa Bano Raja. The Lord Mayor Paul Andrews also gave an interview to “Aims International” magazine, where he discussed various issues, including housing, homelessness, illegal drugs, mental health, infrastructure, and the challenges he faces as Lord Mayor.
Aims: When were you appointed, and what is the history of the Lord Mayor’s badge?
Cllr Paul Andrews: I’m the 126th Lord Mayor of Manchester, and I was appointed in May 2024. The Lord Mayor’s badge has a very interesting history. The original badge is very old and delicate, but in 1926, the Consul General Association of Manchester bought and paid for a new one, so it’s nearly 100 years old now. I wear it, but it’s safely stored in a big safe when I’m not wearing it. There are 65 diamonds on it. As the first citizen of Manchester, one of the best things I’ve done this year was during the general election. As the Chair of the Council, I’m also the Returning Officer for the city. I had the opportunity to read out the election results on national television, which is quite rare for a Lord Mayor. I remember a lady from the elections office briefing me on what to do, and she said, “You’ve never done this as Lord Mayor before.” I had to read the results exactly as they came in, and if I’d made a mistake, whatever I said would’ve been the official result. I joked, “What if I say the Greens won?” She wasn’t amused.
