Sheffield has appointed its 128th Lord Mayor, with Labour councillor Safiya Saeed making history as the first Black woman wearing a hijab to hold the ceremonial role.
Saeed, a councillor for Burngreave since 2021 and founder of the youth initiative Reach Up Youth, was officially inaugurated during a council meeting on Monday at Sheffield Town Hall. Members of her family travelled from Somaliland to witness the occasion.
“I am honoured to be the first Black woman wearing a hijab to take this role,” Saeed said. “I came to Sheffield in 1985, and this city has truly become my home — a place where I have always felt I belong.”
A single mother of five, Saeed emphasized inclusivity in her acceptance speech, stating her aim for “every voice, no matter how quiet, to feel heard in the heart of this city.”
While the Lord Mayor position holds no executive powers, it serves as an ambassadorial role, representing the city at public events and engagements.
Council Leadership Updates
The meeting also saw changes in party leadership across the council, which remains under no overall control. The current composition includes 36 Labour councillors, 28 Liberal Democrats, 14 Greens, five Sheffield Community Councillors, and one independent.
Labour’s Tom Hunt was re-elected as council leader. Following the departure of Shaffaq Mohammed as Liberal Democrat leader — after his nomination for a life peerage in the House of Lords — Martin Smith has taken over the position. Mohammed will continue as a councillor for Ecclesall.
In the Green Party, Angela Argenzio has replaced Douglas Johnson as leader, marking the end of Johnson’s six-year tenure.
Nzubechukwu Eze
