Avidly dedicated to the pursuit of social development and justice, it is not hard to believe that solicitor and former Labour Councillor, Meghani, achieved the best result for his constituency of Harborough, Oadby and Wigston since the nineteen-seventies, in the 2015 general election. Having grown up on the St Matthews council estate in his home county of Leicester, Sundip has said that “disadvantage and discrimination has shaped my world view”, and what gave him the “deep desire to want to help people and make a difference”. In recent years, he has served as the Labour and Co-operative Councillor for Beaumont Leys (2011-2015). Earning a coveted spot on the board of the Leicestershire Police Authority, as well as serving as Ethnic Minorities Officer, and enjoying several broadening roles in the sales, banking and customer relations departments of different FTSE 100 companies, have also been part of the long and luminous string of professional accolades, since his graduation in Politics and Contemporary History degree, and subsequent qualifications in law. Compassionate yet determined, Meghani is then a fitting role model for affecting social progress. Independent of party politics, his personal journey shows that an underlying resilience can be the strongest current for carrying philanthropy. This is only proven through his current work with the Independent Police Complaints Commission, where he continues to ensure a high quality of service to the public, despite the tidal wave of a Tory win. Though ultimately coming second in the election, he remains a premier player in community governance.
You were the Labour Councillor for Leicester City. Could you tell us a bit about some of the projects you were involved in?
I helped save more than 200 jobs as a Councillor member of the Leicestershire Police Authority, as well as bringing conferences and large business events to the area. I have campaigned on homelessness and the protection of refugees, and also led the Council in passing a motion to recognise the contribution of Ugandan Asians (40th). But I have to emphasise the support from all my Labour colleagues in this; in politics you need to work with your team in order to get things done.
You are very passionate about having a welfare state, and public services like our NHS and the state education system. If you had to sum up with a few sentences why you believe strongly in the initiatives of the Labour Party, what might you say?
The Labour Party is the political wing of a huge social movement, which for decades has been advancing the causes of social justice, equality, human rights and opportunity. It is thanks to them that we have the trade union movement, time off from work, sick pay, free education and healthcare, and opportunities to work hard and get ahead.
Is there a particular area of government right now that you want to see bettered?
The government is doing some good work in areas such as global development and fighting terrorism abroad; but this is vastly overshadowed by all the damage they’re doing at home- public sector workers are being poorly paid and stressed from over work. Tens of thousands of police and fire-fighters are being sacked, which has an adverse affects on us all. Also, I feel that working people and SMEs are being let down by this government; I’d like to see that reversed.
Did politics always appeal to you?
When I was a young teenager I would sit and watch the news with my grandfather. I became interested in world affairs and how the actions we take can affect other people. I also had a very poor and difficult upbringing, with my parents and grandparents coming to the UK as refugees: I remember getting free schools meals and clothes from charity shops as a young boy. So, ultimately it became about what I could do – and how I could serve – during my lifetime, to help improve our country, and help bring about better well paid jobs and opportunities for more people in our society.
Tell us a bit about your work now?
Currently I am a Lead Investigator for the Independent Police Complaints Commission. This means I run high level investigations into the work and conduct of police officers and police staff, when there are serious concerns or allegations of wrongdoing. This is in a strictly independent and non-political capacity.
Do you have any particular hope for the future in politics?
I do want to return to politics eventually- and I would like to become an MP.
Finally do you have a personal motto that keeps you going?
Not really, but I like to remind myself and those around me that we have approximately 80 years of life on this planet if we’re lucky, with no guarantee or evidence of an after-life: so do what you can to live a life of purpose that makes a difference in the world, but also remember to do the things you enjoy: wear that expensive fragrance around the house; eat delicious food wherever you are; spend time with people you like and in jobs you like; and show sincere kindness and warmth to strangers and to animals.
