Sheffield’s lord mayor might be a ‘zaddy’ but he’s serious about change | Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff
The new lord mayor of Sheffield, Magid Magid, announced his tenure to the world on Twitter in a font only marginally better than comic sans. At his mayor-making ceremony, Darth Vader’s Imperial March from Star Wars played over the speakers, followed by the Superman theme tune as invitees made their way to the seats. And thanks to his suave, unofficial inaugural photographs – showing him squatting on a marble staircase in the Sheffield town hall, clad in his livery collar and Dr. Martens – he has been pronounced a “zaddy” (a sexy, fashionable man who could be your “daddy”.
At first glance, Magid could appear to be a comical figure, testament to the internet age of celebrity, where a blond toupee who was once known for pointing his stubby fingers at slimy contestants on The Apprentice can use social-media strategy to help him become the leader of the free world. Much like President Trump, Magid first became known to the national public on the small screen, starring in Channel 4’s fugitive reality TV show The Hunted earlier this year. He quickly became a fan favourite for taunting the “hunters” trying to capture him; once posting an image on Twitter of him having a casual cup of tea, and sending a letter to the hunters describing them as “mugs” in Somali, which was mistranslated on the show as “cups of tea”.
But the reality is that Magid, who came to the UK aged five as a refugee from Burao in northern Somalia (now in Somaliland), is more than a figure of fun – and certainly more intelligent and interesting than the aforementioned politician. Magid has been a Green party councillor for Broomhill & Sharrow Vale for two years after becoming enamoured with politics at university, and has spent 12 months as deputy lord mayor. He studied zoology and marine biology at the University of Hull, becoming the president of the student union. At 28, he is the youngest person ever to hold the ceremonial title of Lord Mayor of Sheffield.
Magid’s politics are unabashedly leftwing; he used his inaugural speech at the Sheffield council to condemn racism and post-Brexit xenophobia. “I hope by the fact I am a black, Muslim immigrant – everything the Daily Mail probably hates – people will look and say: ‘In Sheffield we’re proud of doing things differently, and celebrating our differences,’” he told local newspaper The Star following his election as lord mayor. Since he has gone viral over the past week, he’s already had scathing articles published about him by platforms like Breitbart, which focused on the fact that Magid once said that he “wouldn’t even do a toast to the Queen” due to his republican values.
Speaking to him on the phone, a day before the royal wedding, he explained further. “First and foremost, right. Liz, Philip, Harry, all of them, they’re lovely people. They’re great people. It’s nothing personal!” he says emphatically. “But I want to live in a society where, no matter what your background is, you have the opportunity to be the head of state and it’s not only open to a privileged few people. That, by default, means I want to get rid of the monarchy.” Magid, of course, was democratically elected by Sheffield council, and says that in the main the reaction to his incumbency has been positive. On his famous inaugural photographs, he says that he “just wanted it to be grand and welcoming, and I naturally went into a squat!”
Magid manages to strike a balance between humour and the seriousness of his politics. The laughter that he has brought about with his election as lord mayor is set less in the intentional, pompous buffoonery of men like Boris Johnson, and more in the idea that by being himself, and reflecting the realities of most young black and brown people from working-class backgrounds who don’t usually end up in civic positions (he notes, for instance, that he usually turns up to work in trackies and hoodie), he can bring about change to institutions by inspiring other people.
Representation is a wonderful thing. Magid for king! Or elected head of state, at least.
- Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff is a freelance journalist and opinions editor at gal-dem.com
Charlie Brinkhurst-Cuff- [source]
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