London In Quarantine, the vibrant Metropolis, with the city's youngest Asian Councillor, Krupa Sheth
Krupa Sheth, London City Council, Borough of Brent
London is more than just a City; it is a powerhouse of history, culture, commerce and fashion. A City that has inspired many others across the world. A City full of hopes and dreams… The City I have proudly called home for all my life!
It was heart breaking to see the City that was always full of life and chaos, that survived the greatest Wars - was now taken over by the Coronavirus pandemic. It was as if someone had turned down the sound of London. The City has changed and no one quite knows what the future has in store.
As you walk along the streets of London, it still looks the part, but something feels wrong! Life changed in so many ways for everyone. Children stuck at home, continuously finding new ways to entertain themselves, patiently waiting to meet their friends. Whilst so many lost their job, others adapted to the new way of working, we were no longer able to wonder off on an adventure and our most vulnerable Londoners had no choice but to be locked up in their homes, some totally alone. It is a profound luxury to be bored right now, and we remind ourselves of this every day. Yes, Lockdown was necessary but it hurt, it hurt the people and it hurt the City.
Covid-19 hit us with a bang and being a Councillor in London meant so much more then carrying out my role as the Cabinet Member for Environment. Working hours doubled and it was now more important than ever before to assure the Community that we were there for them, that we were working hard for them and that we would protect them. As a council, we contacted thousands of vulnerable people, making sure they were safe and had everything they needed. We sent out weekly parcels of food to those that could not get out and signed up hundreds of volunteers to help with errands such as medicine drop offs. We ensured the parks and streets were kept clean and safe; benefits and grants were being rolled out to support residents and businesses, support systems were in place for rough sleepers and millions of pounds was spent on PPE. The work was tiring, but every bit of it was rewarding, and it was truly heart-warming to see communities coming together to support each other and battle through the pandemic. If you ask me, this is what London reflects…the real London - A City full of love and compassion!
As the City begins to reopen and as we begin to live in this new normal, my job gets even harder as I try to strike the balance between helping our economy rebuild and our City boom whilst keeping Londoners safe. Each day is a new challenge, each day I get to do something good for the Community and each day I learn something new! This is why I love what I do!
I started my role as Councillor back in 2011, at the age of 20. I was the youngest Asian to ever be elected. I am often asked which Politician I most admire. While there are many amazing role models out there from Barack Obama to the first female PM – Sirimavo Bandaranaike, we often forget about those that have influenced our lives the most. For me, my favourite Politician is the Leader of my Council in London, someone who has been a mentor, whose passion to help people has inspired me to do so, the person who has taught me to always fight for what I believe in and to never stop challenging myself to DO better and BE better.
We all have goals and ambitions that we strive towards; I am not sure what the future has in store for me nor what I will be doing in 10 years’ time. 10 years ago, I was merely a university Student in London, who was get dragged out to help my Uncle in his election campaign. Life is full of opportunities, sometimes you have to go looking for them and sometimes if you are lucky, they land on your doorstep. Nothing is easy, you have to work hard, especially being a woman – a woman of colour, makes it even harder, but you have got to believe in yourself, you have to be brave, and you have to take the plunge!
What I do know is that wherever I am, whatever I am doing, I always want to be giving back and helping those around me. For me Politics is not just about fighting elections and bashing the opposition party in the Council Chambers. It is about ensuring every individual is given the chance to thrive, only then will our Country thrive!
Krupa is a Councillor in London, in the London Borough of Brent. She serves on the Cabinet in Brent as the Lead Member for Environment. She was elected as a Councillor for the first time at the age of 20, making her the youngest ever Asian to be elected to Post in the Country. She is currently serving her third term as a Councillor.