Newham Council has elected Councillor Rohima Rahman as its new Chair and First Citizen.
At the Annual Meeting of Council held on 22 May 2023, it was resolved that Councillor Rohima Rahman be elected Chair and that Councillor Salim Patel be re-elected Deputy-Chair, of the London Borough of Newham Council for the 2023/2024 Municipal Year.
Councillor Rohima Rahman was born in Moulvibazar, Bangladesh and along with other family members came to England in 1987. She went to Little Ilford School and East Ham College. She graduated in 1993 with a degree in Business and Finance. In 2008, she completed her post-graduate in Politics at Birkbeck University of London.
Councillor Rahman was first elected to Council on 4 May 2006 and served until the local elections of May 2018, returning to the Council in May 2022 as the representative for Beckton Ward.
In addition to her political engagements, Councillor Rahman has served as a foster parent to 34 children from diverse backgrounds over the past 12 years.
In 2023, Councillor Rahman became the first individual of Bangladeshi origin to be elected as Chair of Newham Council.
Invite the First Citizen to your event
If you would like the First Citizen to visit an event you are hosting, give out some awards or come to anything else that is happening in the borough, please complete the invitation form.
For a word version and for all other correspondence for the Chair of Council please email Civic.Ambassadors@newham.gov.uk
Download Invite the First Citizen Document (Word)
Download Invite the First Citizen Document (PDF)
Current Chair Of Council 2023- 2024 & Current Deputy Chair of Council
Councillor Rohima Rahman, Current Chair Of Council 2023- 2024
Councillor Salim Patel, Current Deputy Chair of Council
Councillor Winston Vaughan, former Chair of Council 2021-2023 & Councillor Mumtaz Khan, former Deputy Chair of Council 2021-2022