Cllr Dora Dixon-Fyle MBE, has been a Labour councillor for Camberwell Green in the London Borough of Southwark since 1998 and most recently served as Mayor. Before this she held senior cabinet portfolios such as Children & Education, Adult Social Care, and latterly Arts and Culture.
Born in Freetown, Sierra Leone, the eldest of three children and a Southwark resident since the age of three, Dora has had a varied career which has included jobs as a lecturer in further education colleges, managing the constituency office of Harriet Harman MP in Westminster and small roles in soaps including Casualty and Eastenders.
In her role as Mayor Dora abseiled down her local hospital to raise money for her chosen charity, the new state of the art cancer unit at Guy’s Hospital.
Dora received her MBE from the Queen in 2011 for services to local government and she is also a Freeman of the City of London, and so is entitled to drive sheep across London Bridge - a task she has yet to achieve!
1) What is your current position?
I am entering my 20th year as a local councillor, the longest serving woman councillor in borough having just finished serving as Mayor of Southwark, the borough in which I grew up in and went to school. I was very proud to represent the people, my family and friends as their first citizen. Immediately prior to that I served for 6 years in the political cabinet, holding various portfolios such as Children and Education.
2) What are your proudest achievements?
Some are listed above but I can also add keeping all our nursery schools open. I believe that education starts from the moment we are born. So when I got the opportunity to hold that portfolio and with the challenge of balancing the budget, I amalgamated the current stock and began to get the workers to see themselves as part of a team and not individual centres competing against one another.
3) Who/ what inspires you?
Michelle Obama – I can’t count the number of times I’ve used her line “When they go low, we go high.” Nelson Mandela is also another long-time inspiration and motivator for the struggles and challenges he endured, yet he was such a man of humility, dignity and integrity. He led his people by example. He treated people equally, whether they were global leaders on the world stage or from a local shanty town.
4) What has been the biggest obstacle in your career?
Putting people first. I mean this is a nice way. I always treat others as I would want to be treated and sometimes this means standing back and allowing others to shine or stretching out a hand to help others in their time of need. Supporting, nurturing, caring for others to such a degree that by the time it’s my time to shine I’m exhausted! So, I suppose the biggest obstacle has been me!
5) Who/ what has been the biggest influence on your career to date?
Books! From the bible, to reading poetry, to reading and soaking up the wisdom of others such as Maya Angelou. From childhood, I remember spending every bit of my spare time in the local library, sometimes reading a whole book but most times just flicking through different books on anything and everything under the sun. Some of my happiest times were spent in the library!
6) What is the best aspect about your current role?
Being free to do what I want to do and make a difference how I want to make a difference. I’m currently helping a group put together a youth club. I’m helping people get into jobs that are sustainable. I’m mentoring other women who want to go into politics and I’m still nurturing a group called Africans for Labour which I co-founded nearly 15 years ago.
7) And the worst?
That the work seems to be increasing all the time, but luckily I love being busy, I love to roll up my sleeves and help people solve their problems be it homelessness, disrepair or a school place. I wouldn’t want it any other way!
8) What are your long term goals?
I’d like to make a difference in parliament. I’ve spent 20 years serving as a local councillor – and have honed up skills I never thought I had, I have met people that help me to help others but it’s in the British Parliament – the mother of all Parliaments –that I would love to aspire to so that I can change things – or facilitate change on a bigger stage, for the better. But then again I suppose all politicians say that. Maybe I’ll just stay happy and contented where I am!
9) If you were Prime Minister, what one aspect would you change?
I would like to see compassion, dignity and humanity in the immigration system. Particularly for those from the Commonwealth. I have seen so many lives destroyed, so many families wrenched apart because of a lack of basic humanity and compassion and I believe that we as a country are better than that.
10) If you were marooned on a desert island, which historical figure would you like to spend your time with and why?
Very recently I lost an Uncle – or rather an Uncle figure who had been with me throughout my life. He was 99 years old. A wonderful achievement. I would love to have spent more time with him, asking him how this country has changed, how did his life change by coming to the UK, what was it like then compared to now and more.
