Mahfooz Hussain becomes Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen

The new Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen is Councillor Mahfooz Hussain, who represents the Blackburn Central ward.

Councillor Hussain was officially made Mayor at the annual ceremony in Blackburn Town Hall on Thursday 21 May 2026 – however due to an urgent hospital procedure earlier this week, he was unable to attend in person.

He will be supported in his civic role by his Mayoress, his wife Hamida Begum, and his Consort Dr Adil Hussain who is his son, both of whom were present at the annual mayor making ceremony in Blackburn Town Hall.

The new Mayor has chosen to support Nightsafe and Derian House Children’s Hospice with fundraising during his Mayoral year.

Councillor Mahfooz Hussain, Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen, commented:

It is an incredible honour to become Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen. The mayor making ceremony is a very proud family occasion and I’m disappointed to have been unable to attend in person, however I know that my Mayoress and Consort represented our family well.

I’m keen to get back on my feet as soon as I can, and get on with representing the borough at all kinds of events and occasions. In my Mayoral year, I’m looking forward to raising money for our two chosen charities: Nightsafe who do fantastic work to support local young people in need, and Derian House Hospice, which provides a lifeline for many families from Blackburn with Darwen.

Any businesses, groups, and community organisations wishing to invite the Mayor to events or work with him to raise money for his chosen charities can fill out an online form to request his attendance.

Form to request the Mayor’s attendance at events

Also, at last night’s Annual Council meeting, Councillor Shaukat Hussain was appointed Deputy Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen for 2026/27.

The annual Civic Sunday ceremony, which is usually held on the Sunday following Mayor Making, has been postponed due to the new mayor’s hospital treatment. It will be rescheduled as soon as possible.

 

About Councillor Mahfooz Hussain

Councillor Mahfooz Hussain was born in Pakistan in 1960 and moved to the UK with his family in 1970, initially settling in Halifax. He remained there until the age of 24 before making Blackburn his home, where he has since built both his family life and professional career.

After leaving school in 1976, Councillor Hussain went on to complete several apprenticeships before qualifying with a Diploma in Engineering. Demonstrating a continued commitment to personal and professional development throughout his career, he later achieved both an OCR Level 4 qualification in Management and became a registered Level 5 Manager.

Councillor Hussain has worked within the care sector for more than 22 years and currently serves as an Operational Director. Throughout his career he has remained passionate about supporting vulnerable people and improving standards of care and community wellbeing.

Alongside his professional career, Councillor Hussain has dedicated much of his life to public service and community involvement. He has served on a number of school governing boards over many years, and has remained actively involved within local charitable and community initiatives across the Borough.

A keen sportsman, Councillor Hussain has a long-standing passion for cricket and previously played for and represented both Queens Road and the Halifax League.

Councillor Hussain has been involved in local politics since the age of 35.

He served as a councillor for 10 years between 1997 and 2007, and then was re-elected in 2023. He has proudly served in a number of important civic and executive roles, including:

• Executive Member for Digital and Customer Services
• Assistant Executive Member for Finance and Governance
• Assistant Executive Member for Environmental Services.