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Councillor Parwaiz Akhtar
Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen, 2023 - 2024
Councillor Parwaiz Akhtar, who has been a Labour councillor representing the Bastwell & Daisyfield ward since 2004, was made the borough’s first citizen at the annual Mayor Making ceremony in Blackburn Town Hall on Thursday 18 May 2023.
Councillor Akhtar was born in Jhelum, Pakistan in 1960. At the age of 10, his family moved to Great Harwood, and a couple of years later settled in Blackburn, where he has lived ever since.
He is a former pupil of Pleckgate High School. He left school in the summer of 1977 and went straight into the world of work – his first job was as an Apprentice Textile Weaver at Higham’s Ltd, in Great Harwood. After four years, he took on a machine operator role at Precision Polymer Engineering in Blackburn.
Having always enjoyed working with people, Councillor Akhtar moved into community work around 1990. His first public sector role was working with young people as a Community Development Officer for the Ethnic Minority Development Association, and around the same time he volunteered at Bangor Street Youth & Community Centre.
Alongside work, Councillor Akhtar studied part-time at Blackburn College to boost his qualifications, and became a Basic Skills Tutor at Training 2000 in 1995. As well as supporting people with English and Maths, he helped them get into training, further education and employment.
In 2012, Councillor Akhtar started work for the NHS at Royal Blackburn Hospital. Over the next decade he had various roles including ward clerk and support worker, and currently works as a Healthcare Assistant within Critical Care.
Over the last 19 years as a ward councillor, Councillor Akhtar has served on many committees within the Council: lead member for the Environment Services, Adult Social Care Services, Chair of the Licensing Committee, and Chair of the Standards Committee. He also serves as a governor at Cedars Primary School in Blackburn.
Councillor Akhtar will be supported in his Mayoral role by two Mayoresses, his wife of 29 years Shagufta and his daughter Sabbah, and also two Consorts, his sons Umar and Tauseef.
Together they have chosen three charities to support during their Mayoral year: East Lancashire Hospice, Nightsafe and East Lancashire Hospital charity ELHT&Me.
Councillor Brian Taylor
Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen, 2024 - 2025
Councillor Brian Taylor has been a Labour Councillor representing, first Sunnyhurst Ward, and then, after boundary changes, Darwen West since 2010. He was made the borough’s first citizen at the annual
Mayor Making ceremony in Blackburn Town Hall on Thursday 16th of May 2024.
Cllr. Taylor was born in Darwen in 1949 and has lived in Darwen ever since. He was a former pupil of Spring Bank school, leaving in 1964. Cllr. Taylor then spent 33 years in the wallcoverings industry, mostly at Paragon Wallcoverings and Crown Wallcoverings, before ending his career in employment at TV Licensing at the age of 72.
Over the last 14 years as a Ward Councillor, he has served as Assistant Executive Member for Health and Wellbeing, and Chair of The Place Scrutiny Committee.
Cllr. Taylor will be supported in his Mayoral role by his three daughters as joint Mayoresses Nicola, Emma and Louise.
Jacqueline Slater
Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen, 2025 - 2026
The new Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen is Councillor Jacqueline Slater, who represents the Blackburn South and Lower Darwen ward.
Councillor Slater was officially made Mayor at the annual ceremony in Blackburn Town Hall on Thursday, 15 May 2025.
She will be supported in her civic role by the new Mayoress, Lillian Salton.
Councillor Jacqueline Slater, Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen, commented:
"In my Mayoral year, I look forward to promoting Blackburn and Darwen and supporting the young people in the borough.
My Mayoress and I are excited to meet as many people in the borough as possible and to support our chosen charities: ELHT & Me, Alzheimer’s UK, and the Darwen Rotary Club."
The Mayor added,
"We are looking forward to visiting the many schools in the borough."
Also, at [the] Annual Council meeting, Councillor Mahfooz Hussain was appointed Deputy Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen for 2025/26.
The new Mayor and Deputy Mayor of Blackburn with Darwen [were] joined by dignitaries from across the area [on] Sunday, 18 May, known as Civic Sunday, for a service of dedication at Blackburn Cathedral and a parade through Blackburn Town Centre.
About Councillor Jacqueline Slater
Councillor Jacqueline Slater was born in Leeds and moved to Blackburn at the age of 5 when her father became area manager for Dewhurst Butchers. She later relocated to Darwen at the age of 26 when her husband, Fred Slater, was promoted to a position at the headquarters of the Electricity Board in Manchester. Councillor Fred Slater had served as Deputy Mayor before he passed away suddenly in 2006.
She has been a Conservative councillor for 21 years, initially representing the Old Fernhurst ward and now representing Blackburn South and Lower Darwen.
Over the past 21 years as a ward councillor, she has served on the Planning Committee as both Chair and Vice-Chair, acted as the Opposition Spokesperson on Adult Services, and chaired the Health and Social Care Scrutiny Committee.
Councillor Slater will be supported in her Mayoral role by Lillian Salton, who will serve as Mayoress.
Together, the Mayor and Mayoress have chosen three charities that are particularly meaningful to them: East Lancashire Hospitals Trust (ELHT & Me), Alzheimer’s UK, and Darwen Rotary Club.
From the Shuttle, Thursday 15 May 2025
Published September 2025.