A new kind of Lord Mayor who aims to lead the way to a new kind of Bradford

Naveeda Ikram is Britain’s first Muslim female Lord Mayor and many hope a symbol of a new, enterprising Bradford. Chris Bond met her.

Walking through the centre of Bradford, you could be forgiven for thinking there are more traffic cones than people.

Those of a generous disposition might say it’s a city in transition, most others probably wouldn’t be so kind. But at least the building site that forms a lagoon around the majestic city hall is a sign of progress. The City Park may be a watered down version of Will Alsop’s ambitious vision for Bradford, but it is slowly but surely coming to fruition. This is more than can be said for the nearby Westfield site which, rather than being a gleaming £320m shopping complex, has become a festering sore and an all-too visible reminder of the recession and what happens when lofty ambitions go awry.

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But if the city is to climb out of the hole it finds itself in then it’s the people that live here who are going to do it. Ever since Samuel Lister and Titus Salt transformed Bradford from a rural town into the world’s wool capital it has been a pioneering, forward-thinking place.

Bradford is also one of the most culturally diverse cities in the country so it’s perhaps fitting that its newly-appointed Lord Mayor, Naveeda Ikram, should be the first British Muslim woman to take up such a role. The Labour councillor is well aware that she is making history. “The fact I’m the first British Muslim female to become lord mayor has its own significance for Bradford, because it was here 26 years ago that we had the first Asian lord mayor as well.”

At 37, Naveeda is also Bradford’s youngest lord mayor and the fact her nomination for the position was unopposed suggests the council, which has taken a fair amount of stick for Bradford’s problems, is keen to show that it’s moving in the right direction. The mother of three says she never imagined she would one day become lord mayor when she started out as a councillor in 2004. “It wasn’t an ambition of mine. When you become a councillor you have an induction day and I was taken on a tour round the city hall and there’s a room called the Saville Room which has pictures of all the previous lord mayors and at no time did I ever think I would be one of those portraits.

“I always thought it was a role for retiring councillors as a token of thanks for the work they’ve done, but in the past few years times have changed and the lord mayor is also an ambassador now which can be used in many positive ways for the city.”

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Being the first female Muslim mayor helps generate interest in politics and Naveeda has already conducted more interviews in the past week than most mayors usually do in a year.

Smart and articulate, the psychology and sociology graduate is keenly aware of being a potential role model. “We have a growing younger population in Bradford so having a younger lord mayor can help attract younger people into the democratic process, so in that way I think it’s been a positive step. I think I’ve brought a breath of fresh air and a positive approach to the city and with that new hopes and ambitions,” she says.

“Part of my job, along with the all the other council leaders, is to show the outside world that Bradford is a centre of excellence. We welcome guests here from all over the world and we want to open the window for Bradford to show them what a great historical city this is.”

These are worthy sentiments but if we look out of her office window in the city hall, it all seems a bit of a mess. “If you look outside there is work going on and there’s a lot of hard work going on inside these walls, too,” she says.

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“We’ve got the City Park nearing completion and that’s why everything looks a mess at the moment. But once we get that completed, hopefully just before the Olympics, it will show we are moving forward.”

Naveeda lives in the Little Horton area of Bradford, which she also represents as councillor, and understands the frustrations of the city’s residents. “I know they care passionately for the city and that’s why they want to see Bradford improve and they want to live, and their children to live, in a great city. But there has been a big economic climate change all over the country which has affected the development work being done in this city. There was no forecast of what would happen and we were left in the lurch.”

But she says there is light at the end of the tunnel. “We have a new [council] executive now and they are looking at ways of improvement. We are bidding to become one of the new enterprise zones and all the political groups share one vision now, which is the betterment of the city.” The council is also looking at ways of transforming the old Odeon cinema which has lain shamefully derelict for more than a decade. “That’s been a big issue for many residents but it’s not like we’re sitting behind closed doors not listening. We know what the people want and are going to try and achieve what’s best for the city.”

Naveeda’s father came to Britain from the Punjab in the mid-1960s and eventually landed a job at the Habib Bank. In 1996, the family settled in Bradford, where Naveeda got a job with Pakistan International Airlines.

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“When I came to Bradford, I started doing voluntary work and became involved with residents associations groups, it’s something I’ve always been passionate about. My auntie was the first female councillor in Islamabad so being involved in politics is something that runs in our family. I was inspired by her and I thought there was more work to be done and I felt there was more female representation needed on Bradford Council,” she says.

“There is the idea that Muslim women do not have the opportunities because their families do not support them. I can say wholeheartedly I have had overwhelming and massive support and as a British Asian I think it shows what a tolerant society we are living in.”

It hasn’t always been so tolerant. The Bradford riots of 1995 and 2001 left deep scars in the community but Naveeda believes they have finally healed.

“The riots were a very sad moment for all communities in Bradford. It didn’t just affect one community and it did knock us back,” she says. “It’s important to bear in mind that these people causing tensions came from outside the area. I think we’ve moved on a lot since the riots. If we talk about the EDL (English Defence League), every community in the district along with the council stood up together and the march last year wasn’t successful.”

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Naveeda says she has been inundated with messages of support since being appointed lord mayor. “The Muslim community is very proud of the achievement I’ve made, but I’ve had even more cards and letters of immense good wishes from various communities that live in Bradford and when I read those cards and messages in no way can I say there’s a tense situation between communities.”

For Naveeda, encouraging people from different ethnic backgrounds to become councillors is vital for the future. “It’s politics at the grassroots level and it has to have a true representation of the city. If you want people’s voices to be heard and issues to be raised you have to have representation from all communities, ethnic groups and religions – because if you don’t, you won’t get the best decisions.”

At the same time she is determined to be the best ambassador she can for her city. “There’s always some sort of opposition when you’re doing something that is ground-breaking. When I first stood as a councillor some people weren’t sure if I would be up to the job and bring up my kids, but that disappeared very quickly.”

And she relishes the idea of being a role model to others. “I’ve had schoolgirls come to visit me at the lord mayor’s office wanting to talk to me about how I got the role, what it means to be a councillor and how they can make themselves useful. So hopefully I’ve been able to inspire young girls, which is fantastic, and what’s also great is that parents are encouraging their children to come and see me because they think I’m the best person to offer guidance.”

Bradford may be in a state of flux, but with social pioneers like Naveeda Ikram at the helm it has a chance, at least, of getting back on course.