A North London council has elected a new Mayor who, at 26, becomes its youngest ever.
Cllr Ryan Hack will carry out the role for the next year having been selected as Brent’s latest ‘First Citizen’ at Wednesday night’s annual council meeting (May 14).
Cllr Hack, who represents Brondesbury Park ward, will take over the role of Mayor from the outgoing Cllr Tariq Dar MBE. The meeting also saw Cllr Kathleen Fraser, who represents Barnhill ward, elected as Deputy Mayor.
The new Mayor is the grandson of Irish immigrants who came to London from County Cork in 1970, eventually making Church Road their home. In his inaugural speech, Cllr Hack described the moment as an honour for him and his family.
Born and raised in the borough, Cllr Hack studied at local state schools Preston Park Primary School and Claremont High School before becoming the first person in his family to go to university, where he graduated with a Master’s Degree from University College London.
Since first being elected as a councillor in 2022, Cllr Hack said he has been “committed to campaigning for the improvement of residents’ access to healthy food”, which has seen him open and support community kitchens in the borough, as well as surplus food markets that feed hundreds of people from deprived areas.
He has volunteered at food banks and community kitchens, even helping London’s Community Kitchen gain access to the council’s kitchen facilities and redistributing around 45,000 meals to the most vulnerable families across North West London.
These causes are personal to him as he was raised in the borough by a single mum who would “skip meals in order to afford his school uniform” and his family survived using food banks, according to his online biography.
Cllr Hack has worked closely with South Kilburn activist Matilda Velevitch to expand social hub In the Mix, where refugee and asylum seeker families can come together to “cook, socialise and build bonds”.
Cllr Ryan Hack at the surplus food market at the Central Mosque of Brent. Cllr Ryan Hack has campaigned for the improvement of residents’ access to healthy food since being elected in 2022. Image Credit: Cllr Ryan Hack. Permission to use with all LDR
The food that was served to guests following last night’s ceremony was prepared by these families, who Cllr Hack stressed are “seen, recognised, and valued for their contributions in our society”.
Addressing attendees at the ceremony, Cllr Hack said: “It has never been about me, at 26, being the youngest Mayor in Brent’s history; rather, it has been about the thousands of kids and their parents who have a story that is so unique to Brent, much like mine – our improbable journeys of tenacity in the face of adversity and struggle, and I hope to inspire and motivate the next generation.”
During his year term, the Mayor will support the Brent Irish Advisory Service (BIAS) as his chosen charity. BIAS, which was set up in 1978 as a response to the welfare needs of the Irish community, aims to improve the wellbeing of the Irish community across North London and beyond.
CEO of BIAS, Mike McGing, said: “It’s great to have an Irish Mayor once again providing a voice for the often overlooked Irish community and we look forward to working with Cllr Hack over the next year.”
Grant Williams is a journalist and Local Democracy Reporter (LDR) for Reach PLC, reporting on local government, politics and community issues across London. As part of the Local Democracy Reporting Service, he has contributed to Harrow Online, covering council decisions, housing developments, transport, planning matters and stories affecting local communities across Harrow and Brent.
