Peter Soulsby
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Sir Peter Soulsby | |
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Mayor of Leicester | |
Assumed office 6 May 2011 | |
Preceded by | Office created |
Leader of Leicester City Council | |
In office January 1996 – May 1999 | |
Preceded by | Stuart Foster |
Succeeded by | Ross Willmott |
In office May 1981 – May 1994 | |
Preceded by | Ken Middleton |
Succeeded by | Stuart Foster |
Councillor on and Member of Leicester City Council | |
In office 1973–2003 | |
Shadow Minister (Environment, Food and Rural Affairs) | |
In office 8 October 2010 – 1 April 2011 | |
Member of Parliament for Leicester South | |
In office 5 May 2005 – 1 April 2011 | |
Preceded by | Parmjit Singh Gill |
Succeeded by | Jon Ashworth |
Personal details | |
Born | Bishop Auckland, County Durham, England | 27 December 1948
Political party | Labour |
Spouse |
Lady (Alison) Soulsby
(d. 2011) |
Children | 3 |
Residence(s) | Evington and Groby |
Alma mater | University of Leicester |
Occupation | Politician |
Profession | Teacher |
Website | Leicester Mayor website |
Sir Peter Alfred Soulsby (born 27 December 1948) is a British Labour Party politician and the current Mayor of Leicester. He was the Member of Parliament (MP) for Leicester South from 2005 until he resigned his seat in April 2011, in order to contest the new post of mayor.[1][2]Following his failure to follow UK government law on lockdown[3] during the COVID-19 global health pandemic, there have been calls for his resignation.(https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/calls-leicester-mayor-sir-peter-4225127 retrieved 15th August 2020)
Early life
Soulsby was born in Bishop Auckland and attended the Minchenden School, a grammar school in Southgate, London. He studied at the City of Leicester Training College for Teachers Scraptoft, then a constituent member of the School of Education of the University of Leicester, through which degrees were conferred. He gained a BEd.
Career
This section needs additional citations for verification. (July 2020) |
Professional career
He worked as a teacher at Crown Hills Secondary Modern School[citation needed]and in special needs schools.[citation needed]
Political career
He was first elected to Leicester City Council in 1973 and served as the Leader of the Council twice[citation needed], firstly from 1981 to 1994[citation needed] and secondly from 1996 to 1999.[citation needed] He remained a Labour councillor until he was defeated in the Spinney Hill ward[citation needed] in May 2003.[citation needed] Despite his own opposition to the Iraq War and his participation in rallies and marches, his defeat (and that of other sitting Labour councillors) reflected the widespread local opposition to the war.[citation needed]
He contested the Harborough parliamentary constituency at the 1979 general election. In 1984, he stood for election for the Leicester European Parliamentary constituency, losing to the Conservative incumbent Fred Tuckman by 1.6%.[4]
Memberships
Soulsby has been a member of the board of British Waterways (now the Canals and Rivers Trust) since July 1998[citation needed], becoming Vice-Chairman in 2000.[citation needed] He is a senior Unitarian [citation needed], serving on the Executive Committee of the General Assembly of Unitarian and Free Christian Churches[citation needed] and acting as its convenor.[citation needed] He has also served as a member of the Audit Commission.[citation needed]
Parliamentary career
In 2004 he was the Labour Party's candidate in the Leicester South by-election; he had been the election agent for the previous MP, Jim Marshall, and like Marshall was not always in agreement with the party's policies. Despite his anti-war stance, Soulsby lost by 5.6% to Parmjit Singh Gill of the Liberal Democrats in a by-election which was dominated by the Iraq War and the newly formed left-wing party Respect, which took 12.7% of the vote. In the 2005 general election, less than a year later, he won the seat back for Labour from Gill.
On 31 October 2006, Soulsby was one of 12 Labour MPs to back Plaid Cymru and the Scottish National Party's call for an inquiry into the Iraq War.[5] He also rebelled against the government on its proposals to permit the detention of terrorist suspects for 90 days without trial;[6] however, in June 2008, he supported the government on the proposal to extend the detention of terrorist suspects for 42 days.[7] (see Terrorism Act 2006.) He retained his seat in the 2010 general election with a 5% swing from the Liberal Democrats.
In June 2010, he was selected as a Labour member of the Political and Constitutional Reform Select Committee.[8]
On 5 March 2011, Soulsby was selected as Labour's candidate for the new post of Mayor of Leicester.[9] He resigned as MP for Leicester South in order to contest the mayoral election.[10] On 1 April 2011, Soulsby was appointed Crown Steward and Bailiff of the Manor of Northstead, effecting his resignation from the House of Commons.[2]
Mayor of Leicester
Sir Peter Soulsby was elected Mayor of Leicester on 5 May 2011, with a majority of 37,260.[11] He had previously served as Leader of Leicester City Council from 1981 to 1994 and from 1996 to 1999.[12] In August 2011, he claimed to have delivered 99 out of 100 pledges within the first 100 days of office.[13] He said the remaining pledge, on the future of the council offices in New Walk, would be achieved by Christmas.[13] However he was criticised by opposition councillors for not explaining what services would be cut in future.[13]
He has been re-elected as Mayor of Leicester twice, in 2015 and in 2019.
Controversies
Salary review controversy
In November 2011, a salary of £100,000 was recommended by the Mayor's remuneration committee—a rise of £44,000, based on the fact that the mayor carried out the work of the city's former chief executive, who was paid £175,000.[14] The council was at the time proposing cuts of £70m in services, and the recommendations were criticised by opposing councillors and trade unionists alike. The independence of the committee, which included the vice chancellor of the local university, the head of the chamber of trade and a charity sector worker, was also challenged by the only Conservative councillor "as they worked closely with Sir Peter".[15] The committee, whose report had been leaked, also recommended a reduction in the number of councillors and the abolition of the post of Lord Mayor.[16] Soulsby dismissed the committee the following day, saying it had made "fundamental costing mistakes" and would have led to "totally unacceptable extra costs."[16]
In March 2012 Soulsby's salary was set at £65,000, "comparable to an MP's salary."[17]
Bribery allegation and subsequent court case
On Thursday 5 May 2016 Mohammed Zameer Khan[18] approached Sir Peter whilst he was outside a city school campaigning for the Labour Party candidate in that day's Police and Crime Commissioner election. Soulsby stated afterwards that the male had tried to bribe him. Sir Peter stated that the male patted himself down and said that he wasn't recording. He then stated that the man had offered him ten percent of any incentive money if Sir Peter allowed him to open a leisure facility, namely a bowling alley at the then disused and derelict Haymarket Theatre. Sir Peter returned to his council office and wrote a report on the event which he handed to council lawyers who informed the police.
The case went through court with the male (Mohammed Zameer Khan) stating that he had patted himself down to apologise as he was wearing pyjamas after dropping his child off at school, denied that he said anything about not recording the discussion and stated that he had said that he would give ten percent to charity and had not offered it as an incentive to Sir Peter. Sir Peter stated that charity was not mentioned at any point. Sir Peter described it as ‘’the most blatant attempt to bribe me in forty years of public life’’. The defendant wept in the dock as he was acquitted by the jury. He said that Sir Peter was a celebrity and ‘’hero type’’ and that he was over-awed by the encounter.[19][20][21]
Christmas Day bus lane fine controversy
On 25 December 2017, a man who pulled in to a bus stop on Christmas Day to help a homeless man was fined by the council. Lee Williamson of Leicester, said he stopped to give a homeless man a blanket, hat, gloves, scarf, food, and to chat to him. Mr Williamson later received a £70 fine, despite there being no buses on 25 December. Leicester City Council said the camera enforcement was an important safety measure.
When Soulsby confirmed that the penalty would not be enforced, he said "It was quite clear what Lee was doing was an act of a good Samaritan on Christmas Day and even though it's important to keep this safe... there are exceptions."[22]
Flouting of Corona virus UK Law "The Health Protection (Coronavirus, Restrictions) (England) Regulations 2020" controversy
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On the 14th June 2020 local newspaper the Leicester Mercury published photographic evidence that Soulsby had visited his girlfriend during coronavirus lockdown, and echoed calls from local Liberal and Conservative councilors for Soulsby to apologise and resign (https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/calls-leicester-mayor-sir-peter-4225127 retrieved 5th July 2020). So far, Soulsby has not done this. Late on Monday 29th June 2020 Leicester was placed into a further local lockdown.
On the 15th June 2020 Soulsby was quoted by the BBC (https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-leicestershire-53048566 retrieved 5th July 2020) as saying "It can be certainly interpreted as against the spirit of the lockdown, if not against the regulations (sic)."
Personal life
He was knighted by Tony Blair in 1999 New Year Honours for his services to local government.
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/e/e7/Knights_Bachelor_Insignia.png/150px-Knights_Bachelor_Insignia.png)
![](http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/a/a3/Knight_Bachelor_Ribbon.png)
He was married to Alison,[23] who died of cancer on 10 December 2011, aged 63.[24] They had three daughters, one of whom is Leicester city councillor Elly Cutkelvin.
He has traversed much of the British canal network in his narrowboat.[citation needed]
References
- ^ "Sir Peter Soulsby MP steps down to enter mayoral race". BBC news. 6 March 2011. Archived from the original on 9 January 2016.
- ^ a b "Manor of Northstead". HM Treasury. 1 April 2011.
- ^ "UK government legislation". BBC news. 26 March 2020.
- ^ "Elections to the European Parliament 1979–99: Leicester". Retrieved 10 July 2010.
- ^ "Labour MPs who rebelled on Iraq". BBC News. 31 October 2006. Retrieved 31 October 2006.
- ^ "Terrorism Bill, Clause 23 – Extension of Period of Detention to 90 days". Public Whip. 9 November 2005. Retrieved 4 November 2006.
- ^ "Counter-Terrorism Bill – Extension of period of detention to 42 days". The Public Whip. Retrieved 10 July 2010.
- ^ Jim Pickard (24 June 2010). "Westminster select committees: Labour & Tory membership". Financial Times. Retrieved 29 June 2010.
- ^ Ferguson, Mark (5 March 2011). "Soulsby selected as Labour's candidate for Leicester Mayor". Archived from the original on 6 March 2011.
- ^ "Sir Peter Soulsby to stand down as MP following selection as Labour's Mayoral Candidate". East Midlands Labour Party. 5 March 2011. Archived from the original on 21 March 2012.
- ^ Elections 2011: Leicester Mayor | This is Leicestershire Archived 18 May 2011 at the Wayback Machine
- ^ "Elected mayors and their value to a city – by Leicester's Sir Peter Soulsby". 18 April 2012.
- ^ a b c "Leicester mayor Sir Peter Soulsby hails pledge 'success'". BBC news. 16 August 2011. Retrieved 16 August 2011.
- ^ "Leicester mayor Sir Peter Soulsby set for £44,000 rise". BBC news. 16 November 2011. Retrieved 6 July 2012.
- ^ "Mayoral pay review panel's independence questioned". BBC News. 17 November 2011.
- ^ a b "Leicester mayor pay rise row panel sacked". BBC News. 18 November 2011.
- ^ "Leicester mayor Sir Peter Soulsby's salary set at £65K". BBC News. 27 March 2012.
- ^ https://www.leicestermercury.co.uk/news/leicester-news/businessman-made-blatant-attempt-bribe-1364608
- ^ "Businessman made 'blatant attempt to bribe' mayor, court hears". 20 March 2018.
- ^ "All updates in trial over claim man tried to bribe mayor". 21 March 2018.
- ^ "Businessman cleared of trying to bribe Peter Soulsby". 21 March 2018.
- ^ "'Crazy' Christmas fine cancelled by mayor". BBC News. 7 February 2018.
- ^ House of Commons – The Register of Members' Financial Interests – Part 2: Part 2
- ^ Leicester City mayor Sir Peter Soulsby's tribute to 'loving' wife | This is Leicestershire Archived 25 January 2012 at the Wayback Machine
External links
![]() | This article's use of external links may not follow Wikipedia's policies or guidelines. (July 2020) |
- Man fined 'for helping homeless on Christmas Day'
- Peter Soulsby official website
- Contributions in Parliament during 2006–07 2007–08 2008–09 2009–10 at Hansard Archives
- Contributions in Parliament at Hansard 1803–2005
- Voting record at Public Whip
- Record in Parliament at TheyWorkForYou
- Wanting free prescriptions for university students in February 2007
- Speeding foreign drivers in January 2007
- UK MPs 2005–2010
- UK MPs 2010–2015
- Labour Party (UK) MPs for English constituencies
- 1948 births
- Living people
- British people of English descent
- Alumni of De Montfort University
- Knights Bachelor
- Councillors in Leicestershire
- People from Bishop Auckland
- English Unitarians
- Mayors of places in Leicestershire
- Labour Party (UK) mayors
- Politicians awarded knighthoods