Cllr Merrick Cockell (Con) - Chairman of London Councils

Member for finance, culture, tourism and 2012

During his time as chairman, London Councils has successfully lobbied on a range of bills affecting London and successfully made the case for additional central government funding to help boroughs meet the costs of providing specific services in the capital.

London Councils has also led on a number of successful campaigns, including the award winning 'be a councillor' campaign to boost the number of people from under represented groups standing for local election, which has since been rolled out nationally.

In April 2009, Councillor Cockell was co-signatory, with the Mayor of London, to the first ever London City Charter. The London City Charter set out agreed principles for how London boroughs and the Mayor can work together for the benefit of Londoners and establised the Congress of Leaders.

Councillor Cockell has pledged to continue to fight for fairer funding for London and to defend the boroughs' traditional freedoms to make local decisions in the interests of their residents.

He is also the leader of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea, which is recognised as one of the best councils in the country. The council was one of a handful of English authorities to receive the highest possible marks annually from the Audit Commission through the seven year life of Comprehensive Performance Assessments.

Before becoming council leader in 2000, Councillor Cockell had held a number of senior posts at Kensington and Chelsea including chairman of the Education and Libraries Committee and Chief Whip of the council's Conservative group.

He has been ward councillor for the Stanley ward in Chelsea since 1986, and has been a long-term chairman of both Portobello Business Centre and the Chelsea Theatre.

Councillor Cockell's other roles include:

• Member of the Local Government Association's Human Resources Panel
• Chairman of the Conservative Councillors' Association and member of the Conservative Party Board
• Chairman of Localis, the localist think-tank
• Freeman of the City of London

Councillor Cockell lives in Kensington and Chelsea with his wife and two daughters. Before being elected as Chairman of London Councils, he founded and ran an international trading company for 23 years.

Email: merrick.cockell@londoncouncils.gov.uk

This biography is available below as a pdf.