Meet Alex-Salik Imran, the first year Manchester student representing Ardwick as councillor

Alex-Salik Imran, 19, forms part of a new wave of councillors elected this May: Young, inclusive, and Green.

A nursing student at the University of Manchester, he was elected to represent Ardwick ward during his first year of study, and little after his 19th birthday. Just a month into the role, he’s now balancing work placements, study, and a council job. It’s no small feat.

Meeting for a coffee after a shift at his placement hospital, he told The Manchester Tab about his journey into politics: “I felt politically homeless for a while, and spent a bit of time looking from the sidelines until joining the Green party in January.”

“It’s such an accessible party, people help you see what you could be and achieve.”

Alex had been involved in action projects and mental health charity work before and after moving to Manchester last year, at home in Waltham Forest, now in Ardwick getting to know the community. He credits witnessing genuine care for the community as one of the reasons he took the leap into the Green Party.

“I was really inspired by Hannah’s [Spencer] speech during the Gorton and Denton selection process, where she said she wanted to make politics accessible to ordinary people, and by the fact she was just a normal worker like me.”

During a Young Greens’ meeting, he had heard people talk about balancing university with a council job, furthering his confidence in pursuing the post.

At first, Alex was unsure if he wanted to take a public facing role, but through canvassing work for the Gorton and Denton by-election, he started to question if he too could stand for his ward.

Admittedly new to the area, Alex has thrown himself into understanding, listening to and being involved with the Ardwick community.

He spoke of a recent M13 Youth Project campaign he attended during knife crime awareness week, in a collaboration with Street Doctors to teach young people how to deal with knife-related emergencies: “These projects show you how we can work with young people to support them and listen to them.”

Access to community spaces is something Alex speaks passionately on, noting that safer streets and removing physical barriers to these spaces is something he’s actively exploring.

“My priorities will change with the people of Ardwick, it’s okay if my policies start to change around the community. I want to learn from the people.”

It’s from speaking to the youth and static population of Ardwick that has shaped the way he’s approaching the role, keen to stress they were not relying on the student vote in the area.

As for his policies, amongst other things Alex is echoing the wider sentiment of community cohesion between student and static residents.

He speaks of pollution in the area, both airborne through the proximity to arterial roads and that of litter in the ward: “Flytipping is a big issue around some of the alleyways, there’s a sentiment of out of sight out of mind, with residents complaints driving the bulk of removal.”

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“There’s also health concerns stemming from the air pollution, Choked Up, a London based youth BAME movement, are looking to set up a partnership with Ardwick Climate Action to tackle the risks of asthma stemming from lack of clean air.”

Green spaces are also on the agenda, with a focus on maintenance: “A lack of consultation means that existing green spaces are unfit for purpose, there’s no follow-up or funding for well maintained spots.”

“It’s important for child development and everyone’s mental health to have good access to well maintained green spaces.”

Throughout the chat, it’s apparent that his background and subject of study echo through Alex’s politics. He credits his unique insight into health policy, and in both roles he finds himself caring for the community in very different ways: “Not many politicans come into their roles through care roles.”

Now he’s fine tuning his skills in the chamber, and learning how to transfer levels of care in both professions, with four years to prove himself.

“That’s what sets me apart, I’m willing to give it a go even if it’s not my speciality.”

“I’m learning how to manage my time effectively and adjust to having more eyes on me.”

Alex credits a lot of his comfort in the position to the great mentor he has in councillor Amna Saad Omar Abdullatif. Sharing a ward, he feels particularly lucky to have the support of his party close to home.

And a month into the job, the atmosphere in the chamber has been incredibly welcoming: “Having the representation and the space in the council chamber is amazing, we’ve now got 21 representatives who will support you in your work and speeches.”

Speaking on the hopes for the next council elections, Alex reitterates goals of no overall control, alongside making the council friendlier and more fun.

“We want to have people from working backgrounds who genuinely care about their communties, people who genuinely want to serve and protect.”

With a unique insight into how care roles can shape your politics, Alex is representing a cohort of previously disillusioned young people finding their voices again.

Jokingly, he said: “My secondary school teachers always told me I would be such a politician, it just shows what great things side quests can lead to!”

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Featured image via Cllr Alex-Salik Imran.