Richard Leese
Encyclopedia
Sir Richard Charles Leese, CBE
(born 1951, Mansfield
, Nottinghamshire
), is a politician in the City of Manchester
in the United Kingdom. He has been the leader of Manchester City Council
since 1996.
, Nottinghamshire
. He was educated at The Brunts School
situated in north east of the town.
After graduating from the University of Warwick
he worked as a teacher in Coventry
and as an exchange teacher in the USA before moving to Manchester to take up a post as a youth worker. Leese has been employed variously in youth work, community work, and education research 1979–1988.
in 1984 and was its deputy leader from 1990 until 1996, having previously chaired the Education Committee (1986–1990) and Finance Committee (1990–1995). As of 2011 he is a Labour
councillor
in the Crumpsall
ward.
He was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2006
List after overseeing the 10-year regeneration of the city after the IRA bomb of 1996
. He was awarded a Knighthood for "services to local government".
Leese was one of the main advocates of Congestion Charging in Greater Manchester, as part of a bid to the Government's Transport Innovation Fund (TIF)
for a £2.7 billion package of transport funding for Greater Manchester
. Congestion charging was ultimately rejected by the local population in a referendum, prompting a general questioning of his judgement and legitimacy.
He is current chair of the North West Regional Leaders Board (4NW).
On 14 April 2010 the BBC reported that Leese had stood down temporarily from his post as leader of Manchester City Council after having been arrested on suspicion of the common assault
of his 16-year-old stepdaughter. He was released after accepting a police caution.
Order of the British Empire
The Most Excellent Order of the British Empire is an order of chivalry established on 4 June 1917 by George V of the United Kingdom. The Order comprises five classes in civil and military divisions...
(born 1951, Mansfield
Mansfield
Mansfield is a town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the main town in the Mansfield local government district. Mansfield is a part of the Mansfield Urban Area....
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
), is a politician in the City of Manchester
Manchester
Manchester is a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. According to the Office for National Statistics, the 2010 mid-year population estimate for Manchester was 498,800. Manchester lies within one of the UK's largest metropolitan areas, the metropolitan county of Greater...
in the United Kingdom. He has been the leader of Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council
Manchester City Council is the local government authority for Manchester, a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. It is composed of 96 councillors, three for each of the 32 electoral wards of Manchester. Currently the council is controlled by the Labour Party and is led by...
since 1996.
Early life
Leese was born and brought up in MansfieldMansfield
Mansfield is a town in Nottinghamshire, England. It is the main town in the Mansfield local government district. Mansfield is a part of the Mansfield Urban Area....
, Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire
Nottinghamshire is a county in the East Midlands of England, bordering South Yorkshire to the north-west, Lincolnshire to the east, Leicestershire to the south, and Derbyshire to the west...
. He was educated at The Brunts School
The Brunts School
The Brunts School is a large comprehensive school in north east Mansfield, Nottinghamshire in England. The school is designated as a Performing Arts College. It has previously been a Grammar School and a Technical School and traces its foundation back to a bequest by Samuel Brunts in 1709...
situated in north east of the town.
After graduating from the University of Warwick
University of Warwick
The University of Warwick is a public research university located in Coventry, United Kingdom...
he worked as a teacher in Coventry
Coventry
Coventry is a city and metropolitan borough in the county of West Midlands in England. Coventry is the 9th largest city in England and the 11th largest in the United Kingdom. It is also the second largest city in the English Midlands, after Birmingham, with a population of 300,848, although...
and as an exchange teacher in the USA before moving to Manchester to take up a post as a youth worker. Leese has been employed variously in youth work, community work, and education research 1979–1988.
Political career
Leese was elected to the Manchester City CouncilManchester City Council
Manchester City Council is the local government authority for Manchester, a city and metropolitan borough in Greater Manchester, England. It is composed of 96 councillors, three for each of the 32 electoral wards of Manchester. Currently the council is controlled by the Labour Party and is led by...
in 1984 and was its deputy leader from 1990 until 1996, having previously chaired the Education Committee (1986–1990) and Finance Committee (1990–1995). As of 2011 he is a Labour
Labour Party (UK)
The Labour Party is a centre-left democratic socialist party in the United Kingdom. It surpassed the Liberal Party in general elections during the early 1920s, forming minority governments under Ramsay MacDonald in 1924 and 1929-1931. The party was in a wartime coalition from 1940 to 1945, after...
councillor
Councillor
A councillor or councilor is a member of a local government council, such as a city council.Often in the United States, the title is councilman or councilwoman.-United Kingdom:...
in the Crumpsall
Crumpsall
Crumpsall is a suburban area and electoral ward of the city of Manchester, in Greater Manchester, England. It is about north of Manchester city centre...
ward.
He was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours 2006
Birthday Honours 2006
The Birthday Honours 2006 for the Commonwealth Realms were announced on 17 June 2006, to celebrate the Queen's Birthday of 2006.The recipients of honours are displayed here as they were styled before their new honour, and arranged firstly by the country whose ministers advised the Queen on the...
List after overseeing the 10-year regeneration of the city after the IRA bomb of 1996
1996 Manchester bombing
The 1996 Manchester bombing was an attack carried out by the Provisional Irish Republican Army on 15 June 1996 in Manchester, England. The bomb, placed in a van on Corporation Street in city centre, targeted the city's infrastructure and economy and caused widespread damage, estimated by...
. He was awarded a Knighthood for "services to local government".
Leese was one of the main advocates of Congestion Charging in Greater Manchester, as part of a bid to the Government's Transport Innovation Fund (TIF)
Transport Innovation Fund (TIF)
The Transport Innovation Fund was a transport funding mechanism in England, that has been replaced by the Urban Challenge Fund in March 2010. Its creation was announced by Her Majesty's Government in the July 2004 White Paper, ’The Future of Transport’...
for a £2.7 billion package of transport funding for Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester
Greater Manchester is a metropolitan county in North West England, with a population of 2.6 million. It encompasses one of the largest metropolitan areas in the United Kingdom and comprises ten metropolitan boroughs: Bolton, Bury, Oldham, Rochdale, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan, and the...
. Congestion charging was ultimately rejected by the local population in a referendum, prompting a general questioning of his judgement and legitimacy.
He is current chair of the North West Regional Leaders Board (4NW).
On 14 April 2010 the BBC reported that Leese had stood down temporarily from his post as leader of Manchester City Council after having been arrested on suspicion of the common assault
Common assault
Common assault was an offence under the common law of England, and has been held now to be a statutory offence in England and Wales. It is committed by a person who causes another person to apprehend the immediate use of unlawful violence by the defendant. It was thought to include battery...
of his 16-year-old stepdaughter. He was released after accepting a police caution.