A barrister has used his own life experience arriving in this country as a child refugee to write his debut book which reflects on modern Britain, social mobility and the challenges that still face children from deprived areas.
Hashi Mohamed, a planning advocate with Birmingham-based No5 Barristers’ Chambers, wrote his book, People Like Us, to share what he has learned throughout his life and career and the pivotal issues that surround social mobility.
Hashi, who has an Oxford degree, is now a successful barrister specialising in planning and environment law and commercial litigation. He came to Britain aged just nine, as an unaccompanied child refugee, and attended some of the lowest-performing schools in the country, being raised exclusively on state benefits.
In his book, he explores what his own experience can tell us about social mobility in Britain. Far from showing that anything is possible, he concludes that his story is not typical, and that the country is still riven with deep divisions that block children with deprived backgrounds from accessing the advantages that are handed to others from birth.
Throughout the book, he offers inspirational advice for those hoping to change their own circumstances and helps people understand modern Britain and how they could change it for the better.