Sharifah Rahman has stunned many by winning the Darlington by-election and becoming one of the youngest councillors in Britain. The 18-year-old, who received 44.8% votes in the last week’s polls, will represent the Red Hall and Lingfield ward. Sharifah got 249 votes, while her nearest competitor Jonathan Dulston, representing the Conservative Party, received 230 votes. Among other candidates, Harry Longmoor for the Liberal Democrats received 11 votes, Michael McTimoney for the Green Party received 20 and independent candidate Kevin Brack got 46. Rushanara Ali, the first British MP of Bangladeshi origin, and local lawmaker Jenny Chapman congratulated Sharifah last Friday for her phenomenal success. In an interview with British news portal Gazette Live, the young politician said past struggles and experiences had inspired her to get involved in politics at an early age. Aside from being an accomplished politician, she is also a talented student who achieved brilliant results in her A-Level examinations a few months ago. Sharifah Rahman was born and raised in northeast England’s Darlington. Her father Lokman Khan is a native of Sunamganj, Sylhet. She is the youngest of seven siblings.
Thursday, June 04, 2026
