To Andy Street CBE: Mayor of the West Midlands and Chair of the West Midlands Combined Authority Board;

And Laura Shoaf MBE, Chief Executive Officer: West Midlands Combined Authority

FORMAL COMPLAINT ON THE CONDUCT OF KHURAM MAHMOOD – MEMBER OF THE WEST MIDLANDS YOUNG COMBINED AUTHORITY

Saturday December 3^rd 2022

Dear Andy and Laura,

I hope this letter finds you well and I want to firstly give personal thanks for your kind letter in September, following the conclusion of my service on the West Midlands Young Combined Authority. That period involved in being a small part in the strategic leadership of Young People across our region is one I am hugely honoured to have contributed to and with a review into the YCA’s structure complete, I know it’s future is a strong one.

With today being International Day of Persons with Disabilities, I feel immensely proud to have been of the Young Combined Authority Board as an Autistic man and be among a good number of disabled members; of whom used the Board as a strong and positive platform to shout about the rights of people like myself. Reflecting on the last three and a bit years, such a time of service has also made me grow as a person and believe that folk like me; who can sometimes struggle greatly, are able to achieve whatever they so dream.

However, part of the reason why I determined my departure date of my 25^th Birthday of September 16^th, was due to a completely unacceptable comment being made by a fellow member of the YCA Board, of which massively made me doubt what I say above and has – to be blunt, knocked my confidence considerably in trusting people and made me quickly conclude my time involved had come to a conclusion.

This was comment in the YCA’s main WhatsApp group by Khuram Mahmood, was made during whilst yourself Mr Mayor was attending and participating in a meeting of the National YCA on Monday July 18^th; a meeting of which your attendance to was much appreciated. Upon myself making some introductory remarks after the Mayor, Khuram wrote at 18:24pm the following message of “didn’t realise Kash was in attendance until Kash began orientating his Face in a peculiar motion”. One’s Autism means I can on camera look perhaps slightly awkward, but is a natural part of my body movements and therefore was taken aback his Mr Mahmood’s remark.

Fellow members quickly raised concern directly with him and checked in with me following the meeting, following which I emailed relevant to complain about a remark, which I feel could be a breach of the law. An apology from him, wasn’t received on email until July 28^th being 10 days after the remark was made, after being asked to either by staff or fellow members. I think that this being case in which he was asked to apologise and such an apology came such a period following the incident, to me is utterly unacceptable.

What also I deem unacceptable, was of Aspire’s constant demand of there being a “Resolution Meeting” – of which have put me and Khuram face-to-face to come to a solution. Knowing of the nature of the comment made and the nature of my Autism meaning such a situation would have felt extremely uncomfortable, I believe that processes were not fully followed; not least with Aspire deeming it being Case Closed as a result of me saying no to such a meeting.

On top this particular instance, Khuram has also been deemed to not correctly represented the YCA in WMCA Meetings; including within a Transport Delivery Committee meeting at some point during the 2021/2022 Municipal Year, when he was deemed Out of Order twice by the Chair. Hearing this has given me and others No Confidence in Khuram’s ability to both follow simple rules written within WMCA Procedures and a clear failure to show respect both to Board’s which I felt very lucky to engaged with and individuals.

This makes the fact he is still a WMYCA Board Member extraordinary to me and I thus would like for yourselves as the highest officers in the region, to investigate as soon as possible and through consultation with myself ensure there is a conclusion; of which I naturally feel should be the IMMEDIATE TERMINATION of Khuram’s Membership of the YCA and this being considered as part of the review of applications, for the Tender of the YCA in the new delivery Model, if Apsire4U have expressed interest.

I didn’t ever expect to have written such correspondence to you both, however I and I am sure many others will feel dismay at such an occurrence, which puts scars the excellent work done since the YCA came to being in September 2019.

I look forward to your response and contact in due course and alongside this letter being copied to relevant CA staff and the Secretariat of the National Young Combined Authority, this shall be made public via my website for the purpose of transparency and to hopefully assist in such an incident not occurring again.

Many Thanks and Kind Regards,

Kashmire DS Hawker