New Sinn Fein Lord Mayor wants to celebrate diversity of Belfast during year in office

Sinn Fein councillor Tina Black, 45, was installed as the new Lord Mayor at a meeting of Belfast City Council on Wednesday evening.

She took over from the Alliance Party’s Michael Long, who was only installed as first citizen three weeks ago when he replaced party colleague Kate Nicholl after she was elected an MLA to the Stormont Assembly.

Mr Long had the shortest term of office of any mayor in the city.

Ms Black, who represents the Court district electoral area in Belfast, was first co-opted on to the council in 2018 and said she was “excited and nervous” at the challenge of becoming mayor.

She told the PA news agency: “I am quite humbled because it is such an honour for me and I know how much it will be valued by the people from my area, my friends and family.

“I am really honoured and quite emotional.

“I have a lot of friends from minority ethnic community backgrounds as well so it is really great for them.”

Ms Black added: “During my year in office I would like to see connectivity being a big theme for Belfast; ensuring that our inner cities, surrounding communities are reconnected back into the city core and seeing a greater flow of development coming in and out of the city.

“We want to see a clean, green and inclusive city.

“I think that lockdown and the travel restrictions really did emphasise how much people need local spaces for walking, cycling, getting out with their families and they need them to be clean, they need to be attractive, they need to be safe, they need to be well illuminated.

“That will be a key focus across the year.”

She added: “I’m very mindful of the cost-of-living crisis and I am concerned for families. As a council we should be thinking of very practical means of how to get right into the family homes to help people with the stuff that matters, nutritional needs, heat and light.

“So where the council can make a difference I would like to see that happening.

“Belfast has such a glorious diversity of people. Belfast can only bloom as a result of that diversity and difference. I would like to see the wonderful achievements that are happening every day in local areas celebrated more.”

Ms Black comes from a background in the community sector and previously managed a community centre on the Grosvenor Road.

She said: “I can’t wait to get stuck into visiting different areas, different organisations, different projects, learning about all of the work that is going on in the city.

“We have got so much cultural diversity that should be celebrated and I want to be seen as a mayor that represents the entire city.

“I have some great relationships with all of the councillors in the chamber and I hope that this year that will stand me in good stead.

“I hope that they will get me out into their communities because I will be there, night or day, wherever they want me.

“I think my background in the community sector will be useful because I’ve been working at the front line, seeing families in crisis, seeing the changing needs of families and seeing that our children, families are struggling with the basics.”