Former refugee is named Lord Mayor of Bristol

Alastair McKeeWednesday May 13, 2026

Councillor Yassin Mohamud has represented Lawrence Hill in Bristol since 2021

Bristol is preparing to welcome a Lord Mayor who says his first priority will be bringing people together.

Yassin Mohamud, the Green councillor for Lawrence Hill, will be sworn in at City Hall later. Born in Somalia, he came to the UK as a refugee and has spent the past 15 years living in St Jude’s, while serving his ward since 2021.

Mohamud said he entered public life “to listen, to serve, and to work with the people of Bristol” and to help “build a city where everyone has the opportunity to thrive”.

He will take over from Conservative councillor Henry Michallat.

Mohamud arrived in Bristol 20 years ago from Somalia to join relatives who were already living in the city.

He said he was welcomed by local people and went on to volunteer before earning a degree at the University of Plymouth. He later worked in a range of public sector jobs, including a role with Bristol City Council.

“When you come as a refugee to this country and are starting a new life, it’s not easy. There are housing issues, work opportunities – all of it was challenging,” he said.

“One opportunity that helped me was immediately when I came here, I had someone who was guiding me. Community is important when you’re settling.

“Everywhere I’ve worked, people have been welcoming to me… [and] I am proud to be a Bristolian; my children were born in Bristol,” he said. “We are a Bristol family.”

He said the difficulties he faced around housing, education and work, along with the help he received, had inspired him to support others facing similar barriers.

His community and voluntary work eventually drew him further into local government.

‘Unity is the biggest priority’

Mohamud said his time as a refugee, his experience as part of the black and minority ethnic community, and his work representing one of Bristol’s more deprived neighbourhoods would all influence his approach as Lord Mayor.

“Unity is the biggest priority for the city, working with all the parties and for all our communities,” he said.

As Lawrence Hill councillor, he was closely involved in helping residents after Barton House was evacuated in November 2023 when “major structural faults” were discovered and fears grew that the building could collapse.

In that role, Mohamud supported residents and defended their rights. He said some of the families forced out were still living with the trauma of the ordeal.

“I hope we can learn from our mistakes, technical and administrative,” said Mohamud, adding that the episode had shaken his confidence in how the city is managed – something he hopes to help strengthen.

What does a Lord Mayor do?

The Lord Mayor of Bristol is a mostly ceremonial post that rotates between the Green Party, Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats.

The role includes chairing full council meetings and representing Bristol at civic occasions.

Those events include the Remembrance Sunday parade and the Lord Mayor’s Christmas Appeal for Children, which gives food vouchers, toys and clothing to hundreds of young Bristolians.

As he looks ahead to the job, Mohamud keeps returning to one central idea: backing residents in the city’s most deprived areas, many of whom came to Bristol as refugees.

“They are no longer refugees, they are Bristolians and are part of the city,” he said.

“They can be anyone they want to be: as doctors, engineers, Lord Mayor.”