Liverpool chooses UK’s first directly elected black female mayor
May 8, 2021, 10:12 am

Liverpool chooses UK’s first directly elected black female mayor

Joanne Anderson: ‘Liverpool has always been a city of firsts … Today, we made history.’

Joanne Anderson is first woman to lead the city and one of the few pieces of good news for Labour

Liverpool has made history by choosing the UK’s first directly elected black female mayor and the first woman to lead the city.

The election of Joanne Anderson was one of the few good news stories for Labour on Friday. Anderson, 50, beat Stephen Yip, an independent, while the Conservative candidate, Katie Burgess, lost her deposit. Anderson won 59% of the total votes (46,493 to Yip’s 32,079), although the race went to second preferences for the first time in its history.

In her victory speech, the 6ft-tall leftwing socialist apologised to the people of the city for the political scandal that had erupted last December when the former mayor, Joe Anderson (no relation), was arrested over corruption claims, leading to a damning emergency inspection of the council. He has denied any wrongdoing, but stood aside from the mayoral race.

Joanne Anderson promised to put the city on “a restorative path” and said she wanted Liverpool to have “the best accountability and transparency structures in the country”. Describing herself as “scouse and proud”, she said she was honoured to be the first black woman in the role. “Liverpool has always been a city of firsts – one that does things differently and that charters its own path. Today, we made history”.

When she was chosen as Labour’s candidate, Anderson spoke of growing up in Thatcher’s Britain in the 80s, feeling as though she was “the bottom of the pile” and “wouldn’t amount to much” and has promised to make politics more inclusive. Her historic appointment may be short-lived, however, as she has has said she would campaign to scrap the mayoralty.A referendum will be held in 2023 on the continuation of the role.

Anderson, who served as a councillor for two years, has said she was reluctant to get into politics. Describing her decision to put herself forward last month, she said: “It hasn’t been a lifelong ambition, but I could see our city was in peril”. However, she did grow up in a political environment, raised by a “fiesty” single mother who, she said, once locked some political figures in a cupboard “for not doing as they were told”.

Anderson, who has one son, says she will make violence against women and girls a personal priority. She prides herself on her forthright manner, and speaks openly about having been declared bankrupt twice, in 2003 and 2019. She believes many Liverpudlians will identify with her situation, particularly after the pandemic: “It’s actually quite hard to live without getting into debt”.

She worked as a freelance equality and diversity consultant, including for the CPS for 10 years, at a time when Keir Starmer was director of public prosecution.

Simon Woolley, the founder and director of Operation Black Vote, described her victory as “a truly historic win on so many levels”, pointing to the significance of Liverpool, once a major slave port, being run by a black woman.

Yip, her opponent, is founder of the children’s charity Kind and stood on a platform of reforming the local authority, including a big reduction in the number of councillors.

source: Maya Wolfe-Robinson

Levant

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BENEFIT, the Kingdom’s innovator and leading company in Fintech and electronic financial transactions service, held its Annual General Meeting (AGM) at the company’s headquarters in the Seef District.
During the meeting, shareholders approved all items listed on the agenda, including the ratification of the minutes of the previous AGM held on 26 March 2024. The session reviewed and approved the Board’s Annual Report on the company’s activities and financial performance for the fiscal year ended 31 December 2024, and the shareholders expressed their satisfaction with the company’s operational and financial results during the reporting period.
The meeting also reviewed the Independent External Auditor’s Report on the company’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 December 2024. Subsequently, the shareholders approved the audited financial statements for the fiscal year. Based on the Board’s recommendation, the shareholders approved the distribution of a cash dividend equivalent to 10% of the paid-up share capital.
Furthermore, the shareholders endorsed the allocation of a total amount of BD 172,500 as remuneration to the members of the Board for the year ended 31 December 2024, subject to prior clearance by related authorities.
The extension of the current composition of the Board was approved, which includes ten members and one CBB observer, for a further six-month term, expiring in September 2025, pending no objection from the CBB.
The meeting reviewed and approved the Corporate Governance Report for 2024, which affirmed the company’s full compliance with the corporate governance directives issued by the CBB and other applicable regulatory frameworks. The AGM absolved the Board Members of liability for any of their actions during the year ending on 31st December 2024, in accordance with the Commercial Companies Law.
In alignment with regulatory requirements, the session approved the reappointment of Ernst & Young (EY) as the company’s External Auditors for the fiscal year 2025, covering both the parent company and its subsidiaries—Sinnad and Bahrain FinTech Bay. The Board was authorised to determine the external auditors’ professional fees, subject to approval from the CBB, and the meeting concluded with a discussion of any additional issues as per Article (207) of the Commercial Companies Law.
Speaking on the company’s performance, Mr. Mohamed Al Bastaki, Chairman BENEFIT , stated: “In terms of the financial results for 2024, I am pleased to say that the year gone by has also been proved to be a success in delivering tangible results. Growth rate for 2024 was 19 per cent. Revenue for the year was BD 17 M (US$ 45.3 Million) and net profit was 2 Million ($ 5.3 Million).

Mr. Al Bastaki also announced that the Board had formally adopted a new three-year strategic roadmap to commence in 2025. The strategy encompasses a phased international expansion, optimisation of internal operations, enhanced revenue diversification, long-term sustainability initiatives, and the advancement of innovation and digital transformation initiatives across all service lines.
“I extend my sincere appreciation to the CBB for its continued support of BENEFIT and its pivotal role in fostering a stable and progressive regulatory environment for the Kingdom’s banking and financial sector—an environment that has significantly reinforced Bahrain’s standing as a leading financial hub in the region,” said Mr. Al Bastaki. “I would also like to thank our partner banks and valued customers for their trust, and our shareholders for their ongoing encouragement. The achievements of 2024 set a strong precedent, and I am confident they will serve as a foundation for yet another successful and impactful year ahead.”
Chief Executive of BENEFIT; Mr. Abdulwahed AlJanahi commented, “The year 2024 represented another pivotal chapter in BENEFIT ’s evolution. We achieved substantial progress in advancing our digital strategy across multiple sectors, while reinforcing our long-term commitment to the development of Bahrain’s financial services and payments landscape. Throughout the year, we remained firmly aligned with our objective of delivering measurable value to our shareholders, strategic partners, and customers. At the same time, we continued to play an active role in enabling Bahrain’s digital economy by introducing innovative solutions and service enhancements that directly address market needs and future opportunities.”
Mr. AlJanahi affirmed that BENEFIT has successfully developed a robust and well-integrated payment network that connects individuals and businesses across Bahrain, accelerating the adoption of emerging technologies in the banking and financial services sector and reinforcing Bahrain’s position as a growing fintech hub, and added, “Our achievements of the past year reflect a long-term vision to establish a resilient electronic payment infrastructure that supports the Kingdom’s digital economy. Key developments in 2024 included the implementation of central authentication for open banking via BENEFIT Pay”
Mr. AlJanahi concluded by thanking the Board for its strategic direction, the company’s staff for their continued dedication, and the Central Bank of Bahrain, member banks, and shareholders for their valuable partnership and confidence in the company’s long-term vision.