The new Lord Mayor of Nottingham, Councillor Liaqat Ali, and the new Sheriff of Nottingham, Councillor Catharine Arnold, were elected at Nottingham City Council’s annual meeting on May 14. They have replaced Councillor Mike Edwards and Councillor Glyn Jenkins, in their respective posts.

Born in Chakswari, Panyam in the District Mirpur in Azad Jammu Kashmir, Cllr Ali moved to Nottingham in 1983, at the age of 12, with his family. He currently represents the Radford & Park ward and has been Chair of the Arboretum, Dunkirk and Lenton, Radford and Park Area Committee as well as previously being involved with The Trusts and Charities Committee; Licensing Committee; Corporate Parenting Board and Nottinghamshire and City of Nottingham Fire and Rescue Authority and Planning Committee.

During his civic year he is looking to help improve education in Nottingham and is currently acting as a school governor of Bentinck and Mellers Primary Schools. He also enjoys fund raising for charity and will be picking the Lord Mayors Charity in his first few weeks in office. Councillor Ali’s wife Robina Parveen will be his Lady Mayoress for the year.

Councillor Catharine Arnold has lived in Nottingham since she was two weeks old after arriving from the Rhondda Valley in South Wales with her parents. She was first elected as councillor for the Basford ward in 2007, being returned again in 2011 and 2015.

During her time on the council, she has served as Executive Assistant for Culture and Leisure and on the board of UNESCO Nottingham City of Culture. She is also a Trustee of Nottingham Playhouse and she served on the board of the National Justice Museum since 2007.

She has chosen her husband Mark Adams as consort, or her daughter Alice, who will accompany her as the Sheriff’s Lady.