Richard Kemp | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Lord Mayor of Liverpool | |
| Assumed office 15 May 2024 | |
| Preceded by | Mary Rasmussen |
| Liverpool City Councillor for Penny Lane | |
| Assumed office 4 May 2023 | |
| Preceded by | Ward Established |
| Liverpool City Councillor for Church Ward | |
| In office 1 May 1975 –4 May 2023 | |
| Succeeded by | Carl Cashman |
| Personal details | |
| Born | 1952/1953 [1] |
| Political party | Liberal Democrat |
| Spouse | Erica Kemp CBE |
| Children | 3 |
Richard Charles Kemp CBE (born 1952/1953) is the Lord Mayor of Liverpool for 2024/25. He was previously the Leader of the Liberal Democrats in Local Government and Vice Chair of the Local Government Association of England &Wales for over seven years until August 2011. A member of Liverpool City Council for 47 years,he was Leader of the Liberal Democrats and opposition on the Council for 11 years until standing down to become Deputy Lord Mayor. Cllr Kemp has been a member of the Board of the Local Authority Mutual Investment Trust since 2011 and its Chair since 1 January 2019. [2] [3]
Between 2006 and 2016 he was the UK representative on the Executive Bureau,Finance Board and the World Council of United Cities and Local Government,the global body for local government. After assisting with the rebuilding of the pan-African section of the global body UCLGA between 2007 and 2009 he has been an adviser on governance and scrutiny since 2010 advising on both the work of councils and of local government associations.
Cllr Kemp now acts as an adviser to and reviewer of councils in England on behalf of the Local Government Association of England &Wales.
Outside politics Richard is the Chair of QS Impact a global charity which helps young people get involved in delivering the UN's Strategic Development Goals (SDGs) in more than 150 Countries.
In the 2011 Birthday Honours,Kemp was appointed Commander of the Order of the British Empire (CBE) for public service. [4]
Richard is married to Erica Kemp CBE who served as a Liverpool Councillor for 23 years and was the Lord Mayor of Liverpool 2014/15. They have 3 children,Jonathan,Emma and Rachel and 5 grandchildren Eva,Jonah,Raphael,Caladh and Mairi. They are the only married couple to both have a CBE.[ citation needed ]
Kemp has stood three times for Parliament for the Liberal Democrats in the Liverpool Wavertree constituency,finishing second in 1997 with 21.5% of the vote, [5] and third in both 2017 and 2019 with 6.5% and 9.3% respectively. [6] [7]