First British Indian Lord Mayor of Birmingham takes up office

Image by Birmingham City Council

Birmingham’s new Lord Mayor, Councillor Chaman Lal, has taken the office of First Citizen after a Mayor Making ceremony during the council’s Annual General Meeting on 23 May 2023.

Councillor Lal is the first British Indian, from a Sikh family, to become the city’s Lord Mayor. He was born in the village Pakhowal, in Hoshiar Pur district, in Punjab, India.

He came to Birmingham with his mother Sardarni Jai Kaur in 1964, and has lived in the city ever since – so considers himself to be a true ‘Brummie’.

He qualified as an engineer in electronics and became an apprentice with an electronics company. He progressed to becoming their youngest chief engineer in the service department and was later promoted to the post of manager of the service department. He left their employment to set up his own electronics business and moved on to set up other businesses.

Chaman joined the Labour Party in 1989 and he has taken part in many social justice campaigns to challenge inequality and all forms of discrimination. He was first elected as a Councillor in 1994 for the Soho Ward and is now Councillor for the Soho and Jewellery Quarter Ward.

Prior to his appointment to the ceremonial role of Birmingham’s First Citizen, Councillor Lal held various roles including Chair of Sustainability and Transport Overview and Scrutiny Committee (OSC), and membership of Co-ordinating OSC and West Midlands Combined Authority Transport Scrutiny Sub-Committee.

Lord Mayor of Birmingham, Councillor Chaman Lal, said, “By accepting this honour, I am very proud to be able to serve this great city as Lord Mayor.

“When I was first elected to the city council nearly 30 years ago, I never imagined that one day I would become Lord Mayor.

“It will be a huge privilege to serve this city as First Citizen, and I look forward to representing Birmingham locally, nationally and internationally over the coming year.

“I’m also keen to meet people from our diverse communities and will do all I can to support organisations and volunteer groups that help vulnerable residents, especially during the current cost of living crisis.”

During Councillor Lal’s year as Lord Mayor, he will be supported by the Lady Mayoress, his wife Vidya Wati.