A Brent councillor who was elected to the Greater London Assembly (GLA) last week said supporting the capital’s recovery from the Covid-19 pandemic is his “immediate priority”.

Cllr Krupesh Hirani (Lab, Dudden Hill) was chosen to represent Brent and Harrow following Thursday’s (May 6) City Hall elections, taking over from Navin Shah.

The GLA will be headed by Sadiq Khan – who was re-elected as Mayor of London – and Cllr Hirani said it was important for the new administration to hit the ground running.

“The immediate priority is jobs and London’s recovery from the pandemic,” he said.

“The mayor has started his second term championing this issue as a core part of London’s recovery.

“I want to make sure that London’s recovery is fair for all and that no one in Brent and Harrow is left behind as we crucially seek to rebuild our economy.”

Mr Khan has been frequently criticised for his performance on tackling crime, a subject seen as a key issue for Londoners.

An opinion poll carried out by the Evening Standard in the run-up to last week’s elections showed tackling knife crime was the number one priority for most people living and working in the capital.

Cllr Hirani said he would carry out an audit in his area to ensure there is a sufficient police presence there and will join officers on walkabouts to hear about local concerns.

He added he intends to set up the region’s first ever young people’s steering group – as pledged during his campaign – to “ensure their voices are being heard”.

As well as assuming duties as an assembly member, Cllr Hirani will continue to serve as a councillor until next year’s local borough-wide elections.

He explained he would “continue to work on council casework on behalf of residents” until this time.

Cllr Muhammed Butt (Lab, Tokyngton), leader of Brent Council, said he was “really proud” to see his colleague elected to the GLA, where he is certain he will “work to represent all communities and be their voice”.