POLITICS

MEET THE NEW MAYOR IN TOWN

ADAM JOGEE

By

Rhoda Molife rhoda@houseofmutapa.com

In October 2020, Adam Jogee was elected Mayor of Haringey, a borough in North London in the United Kingdom. He is the youngest mayor of the borough for a generation. The mayor in Haringey is elected by the Full Council, which means all 57 members on Haringey Council and from all parties. Before the vote takes place, each party nominates their candidates. As the Labour Party has a large majority in the Council Chamber, Adam said that his ‘real battle was winning the Labour nomination.’ He did and here he is now. So, how did he feel when he was nominated? “It was very moving listening to the official proposing and seconding of my nomination. Two colleagues, Elin Weston and Peray Ahmet, nominated and seconded me and it was, as I say, very moving hearing all the nice things they had to say about me.” By the time of the meeting of the Full Council, with the nomination, it was sort of a formality. However, Adam admits that it was still nerve-wracking and a bit scary. “I was very grateful that the opposition supported my election too – and actually say a big thanks to them all now.”

“It was particularly moving that Haringey elected a black man as Mayor on October 1st – the first day of Black History Month in the UK.”

So, who is this rising, young black politician? Well, he is not new to the game. Prior to being elected to mayor, he was a Labour Party councillor for six years. In fact, his political aspirations go back to primary school! “My journey probably started with being elected to the school council at primary school – although I didn’t win at the first attempt, or the second actually. I was elected on the third go when we were in the final year. I like to think they saved the best till last!” His parents were also great friends with Barbara Roche, the former MP for Hornsey and Wood Green, and so he grew up seeing Barbara at events and volunteering in her office after school. Adam is the eldest of three with a sister sandwiched between him and his brother. He was born and bred in Hornsey, North London to what he describes as two ‘brilliant’ parents. I asked Adam what he was like as a child, to understand what informs someone to want to serve their community. “For one I was a chatterbox, but I did always feel an intense interest in other people and what they were doing, how they were, that sort of thing. My reception class teacher wrote in my end of year report back in the mid-90s that ‘Adam is evidently a bright child but at the end of each class he has nothing on his paper because he has spent the whole lesson walking around helping other pupils and seeing what they were up to.’ I like to think I was a good kid though.”

“We are blessed with a rich and diverse background!”

One thing that has certainly contributed to Adam’s calling is his diverse background and upbringing. His mother is half-Jamaican and half-white and his father is half-Indian and half-Zimbabwean. A favourite pastime of his as a child was reading, something influenced by his parents. “I read newspapers, books, magazines, comics, anything I could get my hands on. I think it was a mixture of the way my parents brought us up, to always ask questions and to further our knowledge and understanding of the world outside, and also being nosy.” And growing up, he had the privilege of the full experience of that background. “For me, Zimbabwe was about walking around my grand-

parents’ garden in Harare – it’s the house that my dad grew up in and where we were always based, and still do base ourselves when in Zim. The house is still in the family and I always feel a huge connection with the soil and the land when I’m there.” One of his favourite pastimes as a child was listening to the stories told by his grandparents who he describes as ‘amazing people that taught me so much.’ As for memories of Jamaica, these reflect the modern history of Jamaicans in the UK. “My grandfather came to England in the early 1940s and so by the time I started visiting, most of the immediate family had passed on. But there is something wonderful about Jamaica. The people, the food, the culture and the fierce sense of national pride and identity. Once a Jamaican, always a Jamaican! For me, family is the best word to sum up my fondest memories. And food!” So, how does he celebrate his dual heritage? “Celebrate almost sounds like it’s something that happens like a birthday or an anniversary. I prefer to use the word embrace.” We like that word too! “As kids we were lucky in that my parents ensured we knew our extended family, we knew our grandparents and we visited Zimbabwe regularly.” They also visited Jamaica a couple of times as children, but he has had more regular visits as an adult. “So yes, I embrace it and I live it. I often talk about Zimbabwe and I often talk about Jamaica. I also talk about my late granny growing up in and coming from Birkenhead on the Wirral and so all the elements of my background are constantly on my mind and inspire and influence me every day.” It was actually his grandmother Elsie Owen who inspired Adam’s move into politics – a woman he describes as ‘wonderful strong, powerful, inspiring and kind.’ “My grandfather, her husband, died when I was almost five and so I didn’t get to know him in quite the way I would have wanted but as the youngest grandchild, before my siblings rocked up, it meant I had lots of time with my granny. She was an absolute factor in why I chose politics.’ In fact, all four of his grandparents are his political heroes as is Nelson Mandela who he met twice. In addition to his grandmother’s influence, he says that the fact that he had a big mouth and was always interested in people led him down the path of service!

“My friends, and particularly my better half Alison, will tell you I’m always late. Not because I am disrespectful but because I bump into people and I seem to be completely incapable of only saying hi.” I had to ask Adam what’s special or unique about being British-Zimbabwean-Jamaican. “Three things – me, my sister and brother. I’m not sure there are any other combinations like ours and we are damn lucky that we can go to most continents on our planet and claim to be home!”

We know who we are, where we are from and the stories, legacies and history behind our family’s story.

What was the family’s reaction to the news of his election? “As you can imagine, my parents and wider family were delighted. And still seem to be! I found out recently that my aunt has a scrap book with all the newspaper clippings of everything I’ve done, which is cute. So yes, they are all very proud and it feels good to do something that makes your family happy. Dad has changed his WhatsApp picture to one of me in my chain!” Haringey is one of the most diverse boroughs in North London and is home to Alexandra Palace and Tottenham Hotspurs Football Club. Adam has lived there all his life so for him, it is an honour to serve a community that helped raise him. He describes it as a community ‘full of wonderfully creative and talented people and one with a ‘big heart’. “The response to the coronavirus pandemic for one has been extraordinary. On a

visit to the volunteers at the Selby Centre in Tottenham, I was inspired by the amazing machine that is the food bank there, supporting residents in tough times.” To him, this is what makes Haringey special, the fact that most of its residents care and ‘will never walk by on the other side.’

“Haringey is diverse, it’s open, it’s inclusive, and it’s home.”

We asked Adam what are two things he wants to achieve in his new position? One is he wants to be a strong and loud voice for everyone in Haringey – ‘champion all the good and make noise where I need to.’ Another is that he wants to show that the ‘black, bearded Muslim son of immigrants can lead, can succeed and that times are finally changing’. For him this is important as it sets a tone for future generations. As is the case with most journeys, there have been challenges. What’s been a big one for him? Haters. He recalls an incident when a colleague briefed lies about him to the press that created a storm. “It took a while to accept that not everyone will like you all the time.” How does he deal with it specifically? Focusing on the job at hand. There will always be those that ‘chat nonsense, cuss you and brief against you,’ but from his point of view that sort of behaviour says more about them than the recipient. What will a man of colour bring to politics that’s unique? “I bring my own perspective and set of experiences to politics and that is what’s important. My role is to serve everyone in Haringey

and to do that we need to ensure the elected representatives look like, live with and understand the communities they want to serve.” And being younger than most of his colleagues, he hopes to bring a fresh pair of eyes and some energy. For a young person of colour who aspires to be a politician, he has three pieces of advice – ‘know your power, speak up and never be afraid.’ Considering that many of us have no faith in the political system or politicians, I asked Adam how he will help restore some sort of semblance of belief in the system. “I’m very clear that my role as a politician is to make lives better, to show that things can be done differently and to champion success and challenge injustice wherever we find them. So much hurt, concern and inaction have seen people lose faith and it’s incumbent on people like me to do all we can to restore it. I get that and work every day to do so. Despite the limitations that the current pandemic brings – like meetings being limited to the virtual space, Adam is fully immersing himself into his role. No day is the same and he loves that. You can tell that for him it really is an honour to serve and from what we see he will bring that change we all need to see.

“The vision? A better, stronger, more just and decent world!” Follow Adam here:

IG: jogeeadam Twitter: ajogee Website: https://www.haringey.gov.uk/local-democracy/councillors-and-mps/mayors-page