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Colin Barrow |
Former Wall Street trader takes over as council boss
COLIN Barrow has been appointed the new leader of Westminster Council.
The former deputy leader and cabinet member for finance made the step up to the hotseat after seven years in City Hall.
As his predecessor Sir Simon Milton bowed out on Wednesday night, Councillor Barrow’s colleagues were full of anticipation and mirth at the new regime.
Welcoming him, Councillor Melvyn Caplan said: “We are all Milton’s children and his is a hard act to follow. But Colin is the right man for the job. He has the passion and desire to make a difference.”
Before joining local government, Councillor Barrow amassed a multi-million-pound fortune as a Wall Street trader. He is still involved in finance with a number of hedge-fund roles. Cllr Barrow founded and runs local government think tank Localis with ex-councillor Kit Malthouse. He joined Westminster Council from Suffolk Council in 2000.
Councillor Barrow, who represents Hyde Park ward, said: “I thank colleagues for the opportunity I have been given to lead Westminster, and to dedicate this organisation to improving lives in the heart of our capital city.
“Westminster is not simply another council. When people talk of London they’re really talking of us. It aspires rightly to be the best, to be a global leader in city management. It was this ambition that Simon Milton turned into reality. Simon is widely regarded as the best civic leader of his generation, and we have all been very fortunate to be part of his team.”
He went on to lay out the priorities for his premiership. They include a clamp-down on litter and road-work debris, the regeneration of Marble Arch and plans for Westminster to be carbon neutral before the Olympics.
Cllr Barrow said: “As you walk around you see little bits of debris that are left behind as people, often from the public sector, move on to the next thing.
“Traffic cones, bits of barriers, waste put out at the wrong time and place – I want it all gone. I have a personal target of restoring Marble Arch from the mess that it is currently in to become an area of which we can be proud.” |
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