Robin Wales

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Sir Robin Wales is a Labour Party politician and current Mayor of the London Borough of Newham

Wales comes from Kilmarnock, East Ayrshire, Scotland, and was educated at the University of Glasgow where he was chair of the Glasgow University Labour Club. He formerly worked at British Telecom.

Having moved to London in 1978, Wales was a councillor from 1982 to 1986 and then from 1992 to 2002 in the London Borough of Newham. He was elected Mayor of Newham in 2002, after seven years as borough leader, the first Labour directly-elected Mayor in the country. In 2004, under his leadership, the Newham Council reformed its Parks Constabulary to form the Newham Community Constabulary. He was re-elected in the 2006 local elections.

Sir Robin Wales was Chair of the Association of London Government from 2000 until Labour lost control of the ALG in 2006. He was replaced by Merrick Cockell. He has been a member of the London 2012 board, steering London's bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics. He was awarded a Knighthood in the 2000 Birthday Honours List in recognition of his service to local government. He has two children.