Young Mayor Fetuma Hassan: From Mulberry School to speaking at the Financial Times

Tower Hamlets’ Young Mayor, Fetuma Hassan speaks to us about the lack of youth representation, falling in love with politics, and being driven by anger in the system.

Fetuma Hassan is 17 and has been the Young Mayor of Tower Hamlets since December 2023, working alongside five other Deputy Young Mayor. Together they represent the needs of young people across the borough, bridging the gap between the young population of the borough and Tower Hamlets Council. All positions are held for two years and the next youth election will be in December 2025. 

Hassan was born and raised in Tower Hamlets and attends Mulberry School for Girls. From Eritrean heritage, she is the oldest of four siblings.

What is it that inspired you to become the Young Mayor?

I am driven by my own anger in the system. I feel that a lot of people disengage with things as they begin to feel less and less represented, however, with me it’s the opposite. If I don’t feel represented in a space, then it’s going to push me to do more. I do think that I have a bit of a problem with overcoming stereotypes and that I need to do things against all odds. But that’s what’s always driven me.

Do you feel like other people your age are disengaged with politics?

Definitely. There’s a significant sense of distrust between young people and our local authorities. A big part of my role is bridging that gap — connecting the council with young people and ensuring the council understands how we think and what we want from them.’

You have a seat at every table, even if you have to bring your own chair

fetuma hassan

Do you think that you and your young team have successfully got older members of the council to listen to you?

‘I mean, they certainly try to. They really do get excited by the work we’re doing, and try to be more involved with what we are doing. They’re always waiting for us with open arms about what they can do to better accommodate young people and better accommodate us. So yeah, I think the council is very interested in listening to us.’

What is your biggest achievement since being the Young Mayor?

‘I think I’m most proud of being invited to speak at the Financial Times’ “Democracy: From Where I Stand” event. That was a significant moment for me. However, on a personal level, I’m really proud of how this program has shaped my character. 

A friend recently asked me if my younger self would be proud of who I am today, and I realised that she would be. I never imagined I’d become this confident, outgoing, and passionate about advocating for others. In the past, I might have stayed silent if I noticed something wrong, but now I feel an obligation to speak up and address issues rather than just accept them.’

What were you like as a 12-year-old? 

‘I was bubbly and full of opinions, but I didn’t really know how to channel them. I had lots of thoughts, but no outlet to express them. Like many young people, I felt disconnected from the political system, which made it hard to engage with those topics. I was also a bit shy at times, so even though I had a lot to say, I often held back.’

At what age did you start getting involved in politics?

‘My earliest memories of it were the 2015 general election, where I literally watched the entire BBC election coverage even though I was only like eight years old. That was definitely the nerdiest point of my life! I just knew that that was the path I wanted to take. The opportunity to represent people just felt like such an honour to me. 

But then slowly, I realised the downsides of being a political figure. How the media always find a way to reduce you to something. It was an article I read about Theresa May. 

It was in the midst of Brexit when no one had any idea what was going on, and we really needed information on the situation. But the headline said something like ‘Never mind Brexit, who won legs-it’. It was completely beside the point of the political information that we needed.

It made me think I couldn’t do this after all.  But on a whim, I signed up for the Young Mayor programme, and then like, completely fell in love with politics all over again and just the idea of it really.’ 

If you have one message that you want to put out to the world, what is it?

My best friend and I always go by the motto, ‘You have a seat at every table, even if you have to bring your own chair.’ It’s literally something that we’ve lived by because I don’t think there should ever be a reason why someone should believe that they don’t deserve an opportunity over another person.

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