A native of Kazakhstan, Sanzhar Abishev won the election for mayor of the St James's ward in London, which took place on 7 May. The politician represents the Conservative Party of Great Britain and previously led the local party branch in this area.
WHAT IS KNOWN
33-year-old Sanzhar Abishev has taken over the administration of the St James's ward — one of the most prestigious and historically significant districts of London.
During the election campaign, Sanzhar Abishev criticised representatives of the Labour Party over a number of urban issues. In particular, he stated that £27 million had been lost due to a contractor that went bankrupt, and also drew attention to the situation with e-bikes on pavements and the rise in homelessness.
Furthermore, Abishev publicly criticised the decision by Labour councillors to increase their own salaries by 62% amid the cost-of-living crisis.
WHO IS SANZHAR ABISHEV
Little information about the new mayor has been published in open sources. It is known that Sanzhar Abishev was born in Kazakhstan and has lived in the UK since his school years.
He graduated from the British college Malvern College. He began his career in marketing, working for British companies.
Since 2016, Abishev has headed his own marketing agency, Blue Swallow Group, which works with major brands. In 2015, he founded a charitable organisation.