“I want to make a difference…”

That is what I said when introducing myself at the meeting of our branch in 2010 when I was first selected as a candidate for Labour Councillor for Whalley Range.
In Manchester we have largely a multicultural society. I have a Pakistani heritage but have long lived in the area with all five of my children having been born here. They go to school with children from all sorts of backgrounds and cultures.
When our elders came to the UK, their immigration was for economic reasons and to make a better life for their families. Now, fifty years on, times have changed. We are NOT economic immigrants. We ARE British citizens. Our aspirations have changed and we have to change to match and like everyone else take part in our society and work to make Manchester an even better City than it was in early industrial times.
It is Manchester Labour that is transforming our city and supporting our local communities. Despite the dreadful budget cuts forced on the Council by the Conservative/LibDem Government we are doing our best to promote growth and jobs and improve our city as a good place to live.
I understand the pressures and the rewards of bringing up a family and the value of hard work. My colleagues Angeliki Stogia and Bano Muqaddasah and I try to support the most vulnerable people in our communities – young and old, fostering the natural inclination of people in this area to be neighbourly and caring.
The more I have gone round Whalley Range, knocking on peoples’ doors and speaking to them, the more I understand what a diverse, hard-working and interesting community we have here.