Sir Robin Wales


1955 -

Mayor of Newham. Born in Kilmarnock (East Ayrshire), Wales read chemistry at the University of Glasgow. In 1978, he moved to London and became involved in local politics while working for British Telecom (BT). He served as a Labour party councillor from 1982 to 1986, going on to represent the people of the London Borough of Newham (1992 - 2002). After serving as Borough Leader from 1995, he became one of the first directly-elected Mayors in England in 2002.

A leading figure in local government in London, Wales has been Chair of the Association of London Government (ALG) since 2000. He was also a member of the London 2012 board, steering the bid for the 2012 Olympics, which will take place in Newham and surrounding areas of the capital. Wales has greatly raised the profile of the Borough of Newham and also improved services by significant investment in IT, his professional specialism. However, Wales's administration has been criticised for excessive spending on various redevelopment projects.

He was knighted in 2000.


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