Merrick Cockell

Last updated

Sir Merrick Richard Cockell (born 16 June 1957) is a Conservative politician in the United Kingdom, former Leader of the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea and former Chairman of the Local Government Association. He was made a Knight Bachelor in 2010.

Contents

Early life

Cockell was born on 16 June 1957 to Peter Colvile Cockell and Hildegard Christina Cockell (née Kern). He was educated at Pierrepont School, Frensham.

Career

Cockell became a trader with F. M. Barshall Ltd. From 1977 to 1982, he served the company overseas in Ghana, Togo, Sierra Leone, Gambia, and China. In 1982 he founded and became a director of Abingdon Cockell Ltd, an import-export company, remaining with it until 2006. He has served as a director of Localis, a local government think-tank, since 2008 and as its chairman since 2009. [1] From 1999 he was also a director of Peter Barshall Ltd. [2]

In 1990, as a director of the importers Barber Cockell, he was quoted in China Trade Report as saying "Everyone was shocked by events in June last year, but in reality what occurred in Tiananmen Square had little effect on our business even during the troubles." [3]

More recently Sir Merrick joined PA Consulting Group as a senior advisor. The Local Government Chronicle [4] reported on this move in 2014 with Sir Merrick quoting: "PA Consulting Group is at the forefront of breaking down barriers between the public and private sectors and encouraging new approaches to co-operation. Having been part of the ongoing transformation of local public services, I am looking forward to working with such an innovative organisation."

Sir Merrick was appointed Deputy Chairman of London Pensions Fund Authority in 2013 and made chairman in 2015. He was appointed Executive Chairman of Cratus Communications [5] in 2014.

Politics

In 1986, [6] Cockell was elected as a councillor of the Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council, representing the Stanley ward, in which he was Chairman of Education 1992–1995, Conservative Chief Whip 1995–2000, and Leader of the Council 2000–2013. [7]

He was Deputy Chairman of the Conservative Councillors' Association from 2005 to 2008 and its chairman from 2008, when he also was given a seat on the Conservative Party Board. and served as a member of the Audit Commission from 2009. [1]

He was a member of the London Governance Commission from 2004 to 2006 and was Chairman of London Councils from 2006 to 2010. [1]

In 2011 he became Chairman of the Local Government Association, succeeding Baroness Eaton. [8] He stood down on 8 July 2014. [9]

In 2015 he became the first Chairman of the UK Municipal Bonds Agency plc, a local government owned body that will issue bonds and other financial instruments to allow local authorities to borrow more competitively.

In August 2015, The Mayor of London appointed Sir Merrick to be the Chairman of the Crossrail 2 Growth Commission, which reported on the economic viability of the proposed rail route linking North East and South West suburbs under central London.

Honours

Cockell was knighted in the Queen's Birthday Honours List, 2010, "for services to local government". [10]

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Joan Hanham, Baroness Hanham</span>

Joan Brownlow Hanham, Baroness Hanham, CBE is a former member of the House of Lords. She sat as a Conservative.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Greg Hands</span> British politician (born 1965)

Gregory William Hands is a British politician serving as Minister for London and Minister of State for Trade Policy since November 2023. He has served as the Member of Parliament (MP) for Chelsea and Fulham, previously Hammersmith and Fulham, since 2005. A member of the Conservative Party, he served as its Chairman from February to November 2023. Hands has served as Minister of State for Trade Policy under four prime ministers, holding the office on four occasions, and also served as Minister of State for Business, Energy and Clean Growth from 2021 to 2022.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Margot James</span> British Conservative politician

Margot Cathleen James is a British politician who served as Minister of State for Digital and Creative Industries from 2018 to 2019. She was Member of Parliament (MP) for Stourbridge from 2010 to 2019. Elected as a Conservative, she had the whip removed in September 2019 and, after having the whip restored, stood down as an MP prior to the upcoming general election.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">London Councils</span>

London Councils is the collective of local government in Greater London, England. It is a cross-party organisation that represents London's 32 borough councils and the City of London. It was formed in 1995 as a merger of the London Boroughs Association and the Association of London Authorities. In April 2000 it gained further functions as strategic local government in London was reorganised. London Councils is a think tank and lobbying organisation, and also provides some services directly through legislation that allows multiple local authorities to pool responsibility and funding, such as Freedom Pass. London Councils is based at 59½ Southwark Street. It is due to move to 12 Arthur Street in the City of London in 2024.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Morley College</span> Further education school in London, England

Morley College is a specialist adult education and further education college in London, England. The college has three main campuses, one in Waterloo on the South Bank, and two in West London namely in North Kensington and in Chelsea, the latter two joining following a merger with Kensington and Chelsea College in 2020. There are also smaller centres part of the college elsewhere. Morley College is also a registered charity under English law. It was originally founded in the 1880s and has a student population of 11,000 adult students. It offers courses in a wide variety of fields, including art and design, fashion, languages, drama, dance, music, health and humanities.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Local Government Association</span> UK association of local authorities (1997-)

The Local Government Association (LGA) is the national membership body for local authorities in England and Wales. Its core membership is made up of 317 English councils and the 22 Welsh councils through the Welsh Local Government Association. 

Sir John Daniel Wheeler is a British Conservative politician who served as Security Minister in Northern Ireland.

Nicholas Hall Freeman, OBE (1985) was the Conservative Party leader of the London Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea Council in the United Kingdom from 1977 until 1989; he was also its mayor in 1988.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Cyril Black</span> British politician

Sir Cyril Wilson Black was a British Conservative politician. He was Member of Parliament (MP) for Wimbledon from 1950 to his retirement at the 1970 general election. He resisted liberalisation of laws on divorce, homosexuality, alcohol licensing and gambling, and supported the Baptist church.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Jon Moynihan, Baron Moynihan of Chelsea</span> British businessman (born 1948)

Jonathan Patrick Moynihan, Baron Moynihan of Chelsea, is a British businessman, venture capitalist and life peer. He served as the CEO and executive chairman of PA Consulting Group from 1992 to 2013.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council elections</span> Local elections in London, England

Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council in London, England, is elected every four years. Since the last boundary changes in 2014, 50 councillors have been elected from 18 wards.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">2010 Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council election</span>

Elections for the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea were held on 6 May 2010. The 2010 General Election and other local elections took place on the same day.

Andrew Simon Feldman, Baron Feldman of Elstree, is a British barrister, businessman and Conservative fundraiser and politician.

Lloyd William Johnson is an English fashion entrepreneur.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Victoria Borwick</span> British politician

Victoria Lorne Peta Borwick, formally styled by marriagethe Lady Borwick, is a British politician.

Localis is an independent think tank that promotes neo-localist ideas. It was founded in 2001 and is currently based in Westminster, United Kingdom. Its research programme is guided by the concept of neo-localism which it describes as giving places and people more control over the effects of globalisation.

The Local Capital Finance Company is a United Kingdom-based quango and private company that provides loans to local authorities. It is an alternative for local authorities to borrowing via the Public Works Loan Board of the UK Debt Management Office, which in turn is part of UK Governments HM Treasury.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Daniel Moylan, Baron Moylan</span> British politician (born 1956)

Daniel Michael Gerald Moylan, Baron Moylan is an English Conservative politician and a member of the House of Lords.

The UK Municipal Bonds Agency is Local Government Funding Agency that exists primarily to reduce councils' capital long term financing costs in the United Kingdom. It allows local authorities to diversify funding sources and borrow at a lower cost than is available from Central Government via the Public Works Loan Board of the UK Debt Management Office, which is part of HM Treasury. The agency will sell municipal bonds on the capital markets, raising funds that it will then lend to councils.

Emma Dent Coad is a British architectural historian and politician who served as Member of Parliament (MP) for Kensington from 2017 to 2019. A former member of the Labour Party, she has been a member of Kensington and Chelsea London Borough Council since 2006. She resigned her Labour membership on 27 April 2023, but remains on the local council as an independent.

References

  1. 1 2 3 'COCKELL, Sir Merrick (Richard)’, in Who's Who 2011 (London: A. & C. Black, 2011)
  2. "Peter Barshall Limited – Who runs it?". Archived from the original on 11 March 2012. Retrieved 4 July 2011.
  3. China Trade Report, vol. 28, Issues 2–12 (Far Eastern Economic Review, 1990), p. 3249
  4. "Local Government Chronicle – Sir Merrick to join consultancy firm, 16 June 2014 | PA Consulting Group". Paconsulting.com. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  5. "Sir Merrick Cockell to lead Cratus from July – Cratus Communications". Cratus.co.uk. 23 June 2014. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  6. Stevenson, Alexander (2013). The Public Sector:Managing the Unmanageable. Kogan Page. ISBN   978-0-7494-6777-7.
  7. "Members". Rbkc.gov.uk. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  8. "Sir Merrick Cockell's speech to the LGA in full | Opinion | Local Government Chronicle". Lgcplus.com. 28 June 2011. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  9. "Media releases | Local Government Association". Local.gov.uk. Archived from the original on 20 April 2016. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
  10. "News". Local Government Executive. Retrieved 7 April 2016.
Political offices
Preceded by Chair of the Local Government Association
2011–2014
Succeeded by