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 in order to contest the new post of mayor in April 2011.
Born in Bishop Auckland, Soulsby attended the Minchenden School, a grammar school in Southgate, London. He studied at the City of Leicester College of Education in Scraptoft, where he gained a BEd. He worked as a teacher at Crown Hills Secondary Modern School and in special needs schools.
He was first elected to Leicester City Council in 1974 and remained a Labour councillor until he was defeated in Spinney Hills ward in May 2003. 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.
He contested the Harborough parliamentary seat in 1979. In 1984, he stood for election for the Leicester European Parliamentary constituency but lost to the Conservative incumbent Fred Tuckman by 1.6%.
Sir Peter Soulsby was elected Mayor of Leicester on 5 May 2011, with a majority of 37,260. In August 2011, he claimed to have delivered 99 out of 100 pledges within the first 100 days of office. He said the remaining pledge on the future of the New Walk council offices would be achieved by Christmas. However he was criticised by opposition councillors for not explaining what services would be cut in future.
In November 2011, a salary of £100k was recommended by the Mayor's remuneration committee -a rise of £44k based on the fact that the mayor carried out the work of the city's former chief executive, who was paid £175k. At the time,the council was proposing £70m cuts 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". The committee, whose report had been leaked, also recommended fewer councillors and abolition of the post of Lord Mayor. Soulsby dismissed the committee the following day, saying it had made "fundamental costing mistakes" and would have led to "totally unacceptable extra costs."
In March 2012 Soulsby's salary was set at 65k, "comparable to an MP's salary."
He was married to Alison, who died of cancer on 10 December 2011, aged 63. 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.
Leicester
In the 2011 census the population of the City of Leicester unitary authority was c.330,000 making it the most populous municipality in the East Midlands region. The associated urban area is also the 11th largest by population in England and the 13th largest in the United Kingdom.
Leicester is at the intersection of the north/south Midland Main Line and east/west Birmingham/Leicester/Cambridge CrossCountry railway lines and the confluence of the M1/M69 motorways and the A6/A46 trunk routes.
Born in Bishop Auckland, Soulsby attended the Minchenden School, a grammar school in Southgate, London. He studied at the City of Leicester College of Education in Scraptoft, where he gained a BEd. He worked as a teacher at Crown Hills Secondary Modern School and in special needs schools.
He was first elected to Leicester City Council in 1974 and remained a Labour councillor until he was defeated in Spinney Hills ward in May 2003. 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.
He contested the Harborough parliamentary seat in 1979. In 1984, he stood for election for the Leicester European Parliamentary constituency but lost to the Conservative incumbent Fred Tuckman by 1.6%.
Sir Peter Soulsby was elected Mayor of Leicester on 5 May 2011, with a majority of 37,260. In August 2011, he claimed to have delivered 99 out of 100 pledges within the first 100 days of office. He said the remaining pledge on the future of the New Walk council offices would be achieved by Christmas. However he was criticised by opposition councillors for not explaining what services would be cut in future.
In November 2011, a salary of £100k was recommended by the Mayor's remuneration committee -a rise of £44k based on the fact that the mayor carried out the work of the city's former chief executive, who was paid £175k. At the time,the council was proposing £70m cuts 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". The committee, whose report had been leaked, also recommended fewer councillors and abolition of the post of Lord Mayor. Soulsby dismissed the committee the following day, saying it had made "fundamental costing mistakes" and would have led to "totally unacceptable extra costs."
In March 2012 Soulsby's salary was set at 65k, "comparable to an MP's salary."
He was married to Alison, who died of cancer on 10 December 2011, aged 63. 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.
Leicester
Leicester, is a city and unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and the county town of Leicestershire. The city lies on the River Soar and at the edge of the National Forest.
In the 2011 census the population of the City of Leicester unitary authority was c.330,000 making it the most populous municipality in the East Midlands region. The associated urban area is also the 11th largest by population in England and the 13th largest in the United Kingdom.
Leicester is at the intersection of the north/south Midland Main Line and east/west Birmingham/Leicester/Cambridge CrossCountry railway lines and the confluence of the M1/M69 motorways and the A6/A46 trunk routes.
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