A First Black Mayor...........or Leader?

Along with others I lazily boarded the bus to the London Mayoral Hustings yesterday (its the shoes darling!) for what was a great and well attended event. Clearly I have nailed my colours to the mast in terms of supporting Fiyaz Mughal, but I was impressed by Brian Paddick it has to be said. Despite his public profile it can't have been easy for him being thrown into the deep end with a bunch of potentially lairy activists. I thought he spoke well, he came across as warm, funny and relaxed. Chamili was clear and articulate, with my background it was great to see a young Asian woman in the frame, however, I couldn't imagine her having much in common with the young people I have spent most of my life with, or much ability to connect with them. Fiyaz was clear and knowledgeable, but knowing him sadly none of his great sense of humour surfaced. It hasn't changed my view that he would be a great and formidable candidate.....and he and Chamili clearly both have an important role of enabling us to consider, not just that we could have a black Mayor, but also a black party leader in the future. That has to be important in raising our profile within BME communities and in supporting the aspirations of the many hugely talented BME men and women we have within our party.