Highest turnout in Young Mayor Election

Following months of rigorous training and campaigning to win the hearts and minds of the young electorate, Deng Yan San was duly elected to serve as the next Young Mayor. There were scenes of triumph and cheering as the results were announced by the returning officer, John Williams, at the results and inauguration evening held at the Town Hall  January 29.Deng, who secured 2,663 votes, has become the borough’s seventh Young Mayor and will hold the post for two years. Speaking to a crowd of well-wishers Deng said: “I am incredibly grateful to all of you who voted for me and put your trust in me – I will not let you down. “Our team will hit the ground running, and we will help this borough shine. Project Forte, empowering young people in local politics and bridging the gap between young people and the young mayor still remains very important too. I will work my utmost hardest to make sure I can fulfil all the promises I have made and even more.”The new Young Mayor will be supported by two deputies, Shofiqul Alom and Monsur Ali.A total of 10,775 votes were cast in the elections with young people voting across the borough in schools and youth centres. The run up to polling day saw the 14 passionate candidates campaign hard in schools, on local TV and across all social media platforms to create a unique atmosphere in the borough.Mayor of Tower Hamlets, Lutfur Rahman, said: “This year we saw a 71 per cent turnout which demonstrates the success of engaging our young people with politics and local democracy.“I had the pleasure of meeting the candidates ahead of the campaigning period and was extremely impressed with the skills and talent they all have. Every young person who took part should feel proud to have played a crucial role in the elections. “I strongly encourage all the candidates to stay involved with the council and I look forward to formally meeting and working with the new team.”Cabinet member for Education & Children’s Services, Cllr Gulam Robbani, congratulated all the candidates’ dedication, commitment and enthusiasm throughout the process. Cllr Robbani said: “The council continues to invest in our young people. A scheme like this allows them to stand up for democracy and be represented. I am delighted that so many young people came out to make their vote count in the Young Mayor election. The retiring Young Mayor team spoke about their achievements over the past two years which included chairing conferences, hosting borough wide events and creating opportunities for young people. The outgoing Young Mayor also had the chance to take part in various debates at the House of Commons last year and have represented the young people of Tower Hamlets in meetings across London.The new Young Mayor and her two deputies will now meet with council officers to plan how they deliver their pledges.