Interview with Krupesh Hirani' MP

Councillor Krupesh Hirani was born and brought up in Brent. He talks about his ancestors in Kutch who emigrated to Kenya and then to Britain. He feels heavily indebted to his grandparents for the sacrifices they made, their arduous journey in boats to remote areas in Kenya and how they instilled the importance of culture and language in him which has helped him reach the position he is in at the moment.
He explains how he enjoyed school life in Brent and then Nottingham University where he studied politics. He was a member of the British Youth Council and got passionate about politics, education, health, road, transport. He campaigned for issues like minimum wage, equal opportunities etc.
He championed left-wing politics – distribution of wealth, the state has a role to play in supporting people and joined Labour party. He talks about his charity work with ASPIRE and how that helped him understand adult social care. He volunteered in local temples which shaped his vision for community work.
Leading Brent s Borough of Culture programme. He wants the world to know about Brent’s diversity and how rich it is. He talks about the various communities who shaped the tapestry of Brent – Irish, Windrush generation, Gujaratis, East Europeans, Somalis.
He talks about the contribution of the Gujarati community and how the Grunwick strike and Jayaben made an impact on national change. He is passionate about positive changes in integration Talks about Gujarati values on non-violence, care for the elderly, and how immigration has enriched society. He believes that change and challenges can be positive.
He also talks about how Ealing Road and why it is called ‘Mini Gujarat’.
His vision is to listen to the Young people’s steering group and get their ideas heard in the assembly. He believes strongly in social cohesion and equal rights for all He wants investment in social justice, education, public health, and education.
He has a cultural vision for Brent. Instill pride about Brent in supporting arts and culture. He feels he has changed from his ancestors with opportunities given to him. He wants to make sure he does not lose the values given to him by his parents and grandparents. The biggest gift is language. He can communicate in their language which helps a lot.