Photo courtesy of Alderman Kawsar Zaman

Elham Asaad Buaras

Following the resignation of Baroness Scotland of Asthal, Alderman Kawsar Zaman won a by-election for the Bishopsgate ward on September 15.

An alderman is a very senior elected position in the City of London Corporation, which is directly elected by businesses and residents in the city.

Zaman defeated (118 to 108 votes) Henry Knapman, a senior director at banking giant JP Morgan, for the post.
In a statement to The Muslim News, Alderman Zaman said, “I am deeply humbled that the world’s leading financial and professional services firms in the City of London have placed their trust and confidence in me to be their representative and voice for the next six years.

I will work hard, every day, to ensure that I promote our great city in the UK and across the world.”

Speaking about his mission as an alderman, Zaman said, “I will represent the interests of all in our great city: fighting for a cleaner, greener and safer city; championing our professional and financial services; boosting our SMEs; and supporting local residents. The city’s workforce is global, diverse, and the youngest in the UK. We must treasure this and work hard to promote it. I am keen to connect with all residents and businesses in Bishopsgate. I will be delighted to attend your events and promote your business and/or cause wherever possible.”

The youngest of seven children, Alderman Zaman grew up on a council estate in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, where he went to his local state comprehensive school. He and his twin brother were the first in their family to go to university. He earned a First in Law from the London School of Economics before going on to earn a Bachelor of Civil Law from Oxford University and a Master of Laws from Harvard Law School.

Alderman Zaman, a barrister at No. 5 Barristers’ Chambers in London, specialises in public, regulatory, and employment law. He is also a former solicitor at the ‘Magic Circle’ law firms Clifford Chance LLP and Allen & Overy LLP, where he specialised in financial services regulatory law.

He holds various unpaid roles, including those of trustee of the Wembley National Stadium Trust, trustee of Toynbee Hall, governor at Morpeth Secondary School, and associate member of the UK’s National Muslim War Memorial Trust, which is supported by His Majesty’s Government, and Chief of the Defence Staff. In 2020, he founded the ‘Take the COVID-19 Vaccine Campaign’ to encourage vaccine uptake amongst BAME communities and was praised in Parliament. He is currently a visiting lecturer in law at the University of Law and a guest teacher in law at the London School of Economics. In 2009, he was a Global Fellow of the Prime Minister.