As Councillor Chaman Lal accepts the distinguished position on behalf of the West Midlands city of Birmingham, the city welcomes its first Lord Mayor who is British and Indian. Lal, an adopted Brummie who was born in India, has long been involved in social justice initiatives, thus his election as mayor is an accomplishment for both his family and himself.

Lal’s journey from his origins in Pakhowal, Hoshiarpur, to Birmingham, where he settled and made contributions to the community, was influenced by the fact that his father was a British Indian army officer. He was a Labour Party politician who thanked his fellow council members for giving him the most important civic position and reaffirmed his commitment to serving the city.

Lal has a wealth of expertise, which includes participation in numerous council committees and advisory roles on significant transport initiatives. Through measures like the introduction of contactless travel (Swift Card) and the expansion of late-night and early-morning bus services to serve the night economy and early employees, he has aggressively sought to improve public transport.

Lal enjoys his hobbies, which also include cricket, live music, and the performing arts, more than politics. Birmingham anticipates the beneficial influence he will have as the city’s Lord Mayor given his commitment to public service and his varied career.