Kazakhstan-born candidate wins local election to Westminster City Council

The Conservative Party candidate defeated his Labour Party opponent by 350 votes out of approximately 2,300 cast in the district.

The news was shared on Instagram by Kazakh businessman, Kanat Kopbayev, who congratulated Abishev on his victory.

St James’s is one of London’s oldest and most prestigious central districts, historically associated with the British aristocracy, royal residences and private gentlemen’s clubs. The area developed in the 17th century around St James's Palace and today remains part of the city’s political, business and diplomatic center.

According to Kopbayev, Abishev moved to the UK during his school years. He graduated from Malvern College and later completed his university education in Britain.

“A young man from a Kazakh family, without relatives or connections among the British elite, became the mayor of a prestigious London district through education, discipline and years of hard work. I am sure this is only the beginning of his journey,” Kopbayev wrote.

Abishev has worked in digital marketing and communications in the UK for more than a decade. Since 2016, he has headed the London-based marketing agency Blue Swallow Group.

He also founded the Abishev Benevolent Initiative charity organization in 2015 and previously held senior marketing and consulting positions at several British companies, including Trinity Entertainment & Media, Colourways Ltd. and Inspire Digital.

In politics, Abishev has been affiliated with the Conservative Party’s St James’s Ward branch since 2022. In 2024, he became its chairman after serving for two years as vice chairman.

Earlier, Qazinform News Agency reported that two recent property cases in the United Kingdom, from a luxury renovation dispute in London to a controversial redevelopment project in Wales, highlighted growing tensions between urban development, local communities and the country’s real estate market.