Remembering Shanika
It is with profound sadness that I have learned of the death of Councillor Shanika Mahendran after a short illness at just 28. Shanika died peacefully, surrounded by her family.
I first met Shanika a little over four years ago while campaigning for the Labour Party in Milton Keynes. Even then, she stood out. She combined fierce political conviction with deep compassion, quiet determination, and genuine humility. Shanika believed profoundly in local democracy and in the power of politics to improve people’s lives. She loved Milton Keynes and cared deeply about our city’s future. Yet for all her political sharpness, what many will remember most was her gentle spirit, warmth, and instinctive kindness. She always wanted to help.
I found this a source of great support as I sought to get elected as the first Labour Member of Parliament for Bletchley in 14 years in 2024.
Many will also have known Shanika through her service as a Labour councillor on Milton Keynes City Council. First elected in 2022 for the Loughton and Shenley ward, and more recently representing the New Bradwell ward since May 2026, Shanika took on a number of senior Cabinet roles and made an extraordinary contribution to public life in a remarkably short period of time.
Shanika also played a pivotal role in a number of historic electoral victories for Labour in Milton Keynes: not least helping secure a majority Labour council for the first time in a quarter of a century and helping elect three Labour Members of Parliament for Milton Keynes for the first time in almost twenty years.
Those achievements would simply not have been possible without her wise counsel, sharp political judgment, and tireless commitment to the belief that the Labour Party was a cause worth fighting for.
Shanika loved Milton Keynes. She earned the respect, affection, and admiration of people right across our city – from the City Council offices to our business community and civic society, and across the many religious and cultural communities that call Milton Keynes home.
She cared deeply for the people who built their lives here and worked tirelessly to help every part of our dynamic and beautifully diverse city realise its full promise. In a short space of time, Shanika made a lasting and positive difference to our city and to many individual lives. We were fortunate that she chose to dedicate so much of her life to public service.
Shanika will remain a deeply valued and much-loved member of the Milton Keynes Labour family. She brought energy, wisdom, loyalty and friendship to our movement. Her friends and colleagues loved her dearly. So many of us will struggle to imagine our future campaign strategy meetings and conversations without her presence, intelligence, and good humour.
To say Shanika’s death comes decades too soon barely captures the scale of this loss. Her passing is profoundly cruel.
Shanika is survived by her father, mother, and brother - as well as her beloved dog Lola. My sincerest condolences go to her family at this most difficult time.
I know this news will be heartbreaking for many.
I will miss Shanika too.
Even in grief, we can take comfort in having known such a remarkable person. Though her life was far too short, Shanika lived with purpose, served with conviction, and loved with generosity.
Milton Keynes is better because she was here.
