Editor’s Note: In November party members will be voting to elect our next Party President. At Lib Dem Voice we welcome posts from each of the candidates – one to launch their candidature plus a maximum of one per week during the actual campaign.

When marginalised communities around the UK are under constant attack by populists looking for easy solutions to complex problems, it is more important than ever for the Liberal Democrats to champion fairness, openness and community. That’s why I’ll be voting for Josh Babarinde MP to be our next Liberal Democrat President.

I first met Josh when I was standing to be a London Assembly candidate for the party, and one of the key issues we faced in the capital back then – and continue to face today – was knife crime. I wanted to learn more about the work of his social enterprise, Cracked it, and how it was changing the lives of young people across London by employing ex-offenders and at-risk youth to repair smartphones and earn a living. Josh introduced me to a young person who had left prison with little hope and prospect, but whose life had completely changed because of what Cracked it had been able to do for him.

Later, as part of my campaign, Josh joined an event I’d organised at the Islington Youth Centre and introduced me to mums whose sons had died because of knife crime. Not only did examples like these fill me with admiration for Josh and his sense of community, but it deeply influenced my own political thinking and the importance I place on driving change for young people in the capital.

As a national party, it is vital for us to better understand the wide range of communities that we represent – whether in Westminster, Cardiff, Holyrood or in local councils up and down the country. For my part, I have tried to foster a stronger connection between the Liberal Democrats and the Muslim community of which I am a member. And I’m so grateful for the support that Josh has given me as I embarked on that mission – yet another example of how focused he is on championing our core values.

As an example, back during the pandemic, I organised the first ever Lib Dem Iftar. I intended it to be a very practical way for the party to take part in a really significant moment in the Muslim faith calendar, and in doing so learn more about this community and deepen our connection.

The plan was for non-Muslim party members to fast for a day during the month of Ramadan, and Josh jumped at the opportunity to take part. He woke up early to have his first meal before sunrise, and did a full fast for the rest of the day, before joining an online get-together where we broke our fast together with all the usual treats like dates. Speaking to Josh afterwards, he reflected how taking part in this helps you understand your privileges and how easy it is to take them for granted. The ability to come back to a warm home and a hot meal on the table is not something that everyone in our communities can count on.

Josh, as President, will undoubtedly work to ensure that diversity is hardwired into everything we do. Having himself battled systemic barriers to become the first Black MP elected as a Lib Dem, and benefiting from the party’s Stellar programme that supports ethnic minority candidates, I know he will continue to champion support to get ethnic minority Lib Dems elected at every level. And he’ll work with our Associated Organisations so that the party can have a comprehensive strategy to drive greater diversity at every level of our party. That means more training and more national party support for diverse target seats. It’s no wonder that the Liberal Democrat Campaign for Race Equality has endorsed Josh as its preferred candidate for President.

As we look ahead to where our political debate is heading, we need a President who can speak to the country with authenticity about who we are and what we stand for, and who has a proven track record of standing up for marginalised communities. That’s why I’ll be voting for Josh to be our next President – the way he can communicate and connect to people at an emotional level will help us reach new voters and recruit new members from different communities.

* Hina Bokhari is the Liberal Democrat Leader on the London Assembly and the most prominent elected Muslim within the Liberal Democrats.