Councillor Mahfooz Hussain has been made Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen for 2026/27, with the annual ceremony held at Blackburn Town Hall on Thursday 21 May 2026.
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The Blackburn Central ward councillor was unable to attend in person because he had an urgent hospital procedure earlier this week. His Mayoress, his wife Hamida Begum, and his Consort, his son Dr Adil Hussain, attended the mayor-making ceremony.
Councillor Hussain has chosen Nightsafe and Derian House Children’s Hospice as the charities he will support during his Mayoral year.
He said: “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.”
Businesses, groups and community organisations wanting 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.
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 after Mayor Making, has been postponed because of the new Mayor’s hospital treatment. It will be rescheduled as soon as possible.
Councillor Hussain was born in Pakistan in 1960 and moved to the UK with his family in 1970, first settling in Halifax. He lived there until the age of 24 before making Blackburn his home.
He left school in 1976, completed several apprenticeships and qualified with a Diploma in Engineering. He later achieved an OCR Level 4 qualification in Management and became a registered Level 5 Manager.
He has worked in the care sector for more than 22 years and is currently an Operational Director. He has also served on school governing boards and has been involved in local charitable and community initiatives across the borough.
A keen cricketer, he previously played for and represented both Queens Road and the Halifax League. He has been involved in local politics since the age of 35.
He served as a councillor for 10 years between 1997 and 2007, and was re-elected in 2023. His previous roles include Executive Member for Digital and Customer Services, Assistant Executive Member for Finance and Governance, and Assistant Executive Member for Environmental Services.
