Sanchia Alasia is the former mayor for the London Borough of Barking and Dagenham. An award-winning specialist in equality diversity and Human Resource she currently works at Brunel University as their equality and diversity manager. She was first elected to the Council in 2010 and was the first of three Black women to be elected there. She has held several positions – School Governor, chair of the health and adult services scrutiny committee and chair of the planning committee.
Sanchia was one of the Labour Party candidates for the European elections in 2014 in the London region and is a candidate again in the 2019 European elections. Following the European elections in 2014, she was appointed by the then Prime Minister, David Cameron to be a member of the European Union Committee of the regions. She was elected the deputy leader of the UK delegation in 2017. This is a forum where she speaks up for local government in Europe. She is also the gender equality representative for the Party of European Socialists.
She has a BSc in politics and sociology and an MSc in politics, policy and government.
Sanchia is a well sought after speaker and has spoken at the World Diversity leadership summit and the European Diversity Business Congress, as well as conferences and forums across Europe.
As well as being an active member of the Labour Party, Cllr Alasia is an active member of the Fabian Society, Co-operative Party, Christians on the left, BAME Labour and her trade unions, UNISON and GMB.
It is interesting to note that in 2010 when she was first elected, she became the youngest woman on the Council and with her colleagues achieved over a 7% Labour swing from the British National Party, as they had reached out to a broader community.
Sanchia has won numerous awards including, local government personality of the year at the Dods Women in public life awards in 2013, the Grassroots Diplomats awards in the policy driver category for her work in equality and diversity in 2014 and a Christian woman in politics at the Wise Women Awards in 2018 and Mayor of the year in 2018.
Sanchia took part in the OBV MP shadow scheme in 2006. She shadowed Sadiq Khan and subsequently Diane Abbott.