MEET THE MAYOR
‘I’m here for
everyone’
“I am very proud of becoming the first Asian woman to be mayor in Ealing,”
Councillor Harbhajan Kaur Dheer told Gracia Leo, after taking on the role this year.
S
he became mayor in May this
year after 15 years of serving
the borough, and more
than three decades of being
embedded in community life.
It was a huge cultural change for
Harbhajan when she came to England
in 1975 but she has seen many changes
in the 40 years since. She moved to the
borough she fondly calls home in the
late 70s and said she is ‘truly honoured’
to now be its first citizen.
Even as a young working mother
of two, she was keen to learn and
understand how the government
functioned in this country, many times
taking her children out with her when
canvassing or delivering leaflets.
30
around ealing
Autumn 2015
“From an early stage it was my
passion to understand local politics and
the function of central government,”
she recalled. “I got involved in the
old Dormers Wells ward and was chair
and then secretary of the board and
held many other posts. I also attended
meetings with Michael Elliott, former
MEP for London West.”
She served as deputy mayoress in
2000/01, and as the mayoress (consort
to the mayor) in 2001/02, carrying out
the roles while working full time in Surrey,
and thoroughly enjoyed both terms.
AN ACTIVE ROLE
But it was not until her children were
grown and had flown the nest that