Like most people, my parents were only able to fulfil their dreams because there was support. A council home so they could save for a deposit to buy a home of their own. Fantastic local state schools where my own daughters go now. Affordable university places and good quality apprenticeships.
I look forward to the day that I can go with my daughters to the polling station for them to cast their first vote.
As someone who lives with adult-onset asthma, I know how bad air quality in the capital has become. I want to be the greenest mayor London has ever had - it is not acceptable that 10,000 people die in London every year because our air is so filthy.
Being reliant on legal aid is probably inconceivable to most of us. But this is no different from other branches of the welfare state established at the same time as our legal aid system - being diagnosed with a major illness and needing the NHS, or losing a job and needing the support of social security.
Labour was founded to make the lives of working people better and to create more opportunities for everyone. Whether it's aspiring to work as a nurse in a hospital or setting up and running your own business, Labour should be about ensuring fairness so that everyone has the same chance in life to reach their goals.
Victims want to know that the true perpetrators of their crime are convicted - legal aid helps achieve this.
Labour is at its best when we understand how the country has changed and we adapt to new circumstances.
As a British Muslim, I am no stranger to prejudice. I know what it's like to be discriminated against just because of your background or religion.
I grew up on a council estate in south London; my dad was a bus driver and my mum sewed clothes to bring in extra money. My parents worked hard and were able to save up and buy a home for our family.
When Pakistan beat England at cricket, my Pakistani cousins remind me how English and British I am. When they say, 'You're one of the Queen's advisers,' for them it's, 'Wow - anything's possible in the U.K.'
I value loyalty and believe that internal disagreements shouldn't be voiced in the media - because divided parties lose elections.
When we are faced with adversity, when we are tested on who we are and what we stand for, we always pull together. We stand strong for our values and our way of life. We always have, and I know we always will.
I am deeply humbled by the hope and trust that Londoners have placed in me. I grew up on a council estate just a few miles from City Hall, and I never imagined that Londoners would one day elect someone like me to lead our great capital city.
Our prisons are full of people who are illiterate and innumerate, have been failed by the care system, and often have had a parent in prison.
Legal aid is crucial in ensuring those truly guilty of crimes are convicted after due process, and those innocent are able to clear their names, by ensuring that access to legal representation is available for everyone, regardless of ability to pay.