Meet The Leader

For the penultimate episode of Meet the Leader in 2023, Councillor Ruth Dombey joins Nick Kilby to talk about her fascinating route into local government, which all began with some Italian wine. Cllr Dombey first became a councillor back in 2002 and has led Sutton since 2012, making her the second longest-serving council leader in London. Hosted by Cratus CEO Nick Kilby, The Meet the Leader podcas...

For this latest episode of Meet the Leader, Nick Kilby (Cratus) is joined by the Leader of Cotswold District Council, Councillor Joe Harris. During this conversation, Cllr Harris talks to Nick about his inspirational journey in local government which began with him being first elected at the age of 18, and subsequently becoming the youngest Mayor in the country at just 20 years old. Fast forward t...

For this latest episode of Meet the Leader, Nick Kilby is joined by Councillor Vince Maple who was elected as the new Leader of Medway Council in May. Labour took control of Medway Council for the first time since 1998, and Cllr Maple had led the party in opposition for 11 years before taking control this year. During this conversation, the pair discuss Cllr Maple's journey into politics whic...

For this latest episode of Meet the Leader, Nick Kilby is joined by the Leader of Manchester City Council, Bev Craig, to shine a light on her personal journey in local government, and the work that is being done in Manchester. Originally moving to Manchester in 2003 for university, Cllr Craig has been an elected councillor for over a decade and is nearly two years into leading the city council. Th...

For this latest episode of Meet the Leader, Nick is joined by the Leader of the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, Councillor Gareth Roberts. This episode explores Cllr Roberts' journey in local government, looking at his various roles in opposition as well as the political transformation of Richmond that he has witnessed. The pair also discuss the importance of changing the perception o...

In this latest episode of Meet the Leader, Nick is joined by the new Leader of Harlow District Council and the youngest council leader in the country, Councillor Dan Swords. During this episode, Cllr Swords sets out his vision for the next municipal year, ahead of Harlow's all-out elections in 2024, while crediting some of the trailblazers within local government who have inspired him along t...

In this latest instalment of our Meet the Leader series Nick Kilby is joined by Leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, Cllr Darren Rodwell. Cllr Rodwell recounts his journey into local government and talks to Nick about what it means to serve the community that he grew up in, and how he views himself as a facilitator of aspirations. He is passionate about delivering for his community and illustra...

For International Women’s Day 2023, we are joined by Councillor Linda Haysey, Leader of East Herts District Council. Cllr Haysey discusses the importance of balance in gender representation, the challenge in encouraging women to stand in local elections and some of the barriers they face. We look back over some of the tests and triumphs of her 18 years in local government and 8 years as leader, in...

In our latest episode, we are joined by Cllr Linda Taylor, Leader of Cornwall Council, as she proudly discusses her journey in local government. Cllr Taylor delves into the current housing crisis facing the region and speaks about the dynamic between Cornwall and Europe. She is passionate about making a difference to the whole of Cornwall through effective teamwork. Hosted by Cratus Group 's...

On our first episode, we are joined by Cllr Jas Athwal, Leader of the London Borough of Redbridge and he takes us through his journey of becoming the leader. Cllr Athwal recounts the early days when he was first approached to join a party and how he made the decision. He expressed that he became the leader to change people’s lives and considers his residence as his boss. Cllr Athwal illustrates th...