Councillor in race for London Mayor

Published in London 24, 12 September 2007 on Wed 12th Sep 2007

ONE of Haringey newest councillors is in the race to become London's next mayor.

Fiyaz Mughal, Liberal Democrat councillor for Noel Park, is up against gay former police chief Brian Paddick and barrister Chamali Fernando to become the party's candidate.

The 36-year-old Russell Avenue resident, who was elected to the council in last May's elections, said: "I will relish the challenge of it. I know it's an extremely intensive campaign but I I've got this far and I feel I have the mettle and the steel to keep up with the intensive pressure. I think I'm ready for it. I feel I have built enough of a profile in the party to go for it."

Liberal Democrat members in London will vote on the candidates next month, with the successful candidate being announced in early November.

All three will take part in hustings at the Liberal Democrats autumn conference in Brighton next week in a bid to win the party's nomination for the 2008 mayoral election.

Councillor Mughal, who is married and works as chief executive of Enfield Citizens Advice Bureau, made it into the final three after a series of gruelling interviews.

He believes he would offer a distinctive alternative to current mayor Ken Livingstone and Conservative favourite Boris Johnson.

"I think London needs a uniting candidate," he said. "I think Ken can be divisive to certain communities. I think Boris gives the impression as being a bit of joker; he goes around making light of things. It needs someone serious about uniting people and that is something, hopefully I can bring."

As mayor, he would devolve more power to local areas combating what he regards as the increasing centralisation of power under Ken Livingstone.

He would also push for "further integration" for migrant communities to give people the "best life chances".

Born in Uganda, he grew up in the UK, living in Haringey from the age of 13.

Between 2001 and 2004 he lived in Oxford, where he was a city councillor, before returning to Haringey. He has also been chairman of the Ethnic Minority Liberal Democrats and in 2006-2007 was one of the party's deputy presidents.

Edward Davey MP, the Liberal Democrats' campaign chairman, said: "This is an excellent shortlist of high calibre candidates that will both give London Liberal Democrat members a real choice and the people of the capital a great mayor