In this episode, we sit down with Cllr Tudor Evans, one of the most experienced and enduring figures in local government. With over three decades of service, including five terms as Leader of Plymouth City Council, Cllr Tudor shares the journey that brought him into politics, the challenges and triumphs of leading a city through economic transformation, and why he’s still as passionate today as when he first stood for election in 1987. We explore: Plymouth’s regeneration from naval decline to...
All content for Meet The Leader is the property of Meet The Leader and is served directly from their servers
with no modification, redirects, or rehosting. The podcast is not affiliated with or endorsed by Podjoint in any way.
In this episode, we sit down with Cllr Tudor Evans, one of the most experienced and enduring figures in local government. With over three decades of service, including five terms as Leader of Plymouth City Council, Cllr Tudor shares the journey that brought him into politics, the challenges and triumphs of leading a city through economic transformation, and why he’s still as passionate today as when he first stood for election in 1987. We explore: Plymouth’s regeneration from naval decline to...
In this episode, we sit down with Cllr Tudor Evans, one of the most experienced and enduring figures in local government. With over three decades of service, including five terms as Leader of Plymouth City Council, Cllr Tudor shares the journey that brought him into politics, the challenges and triumphs of leading a city through economic transformation, and why he’s still as passionate today as when he first stood for election in 1987. We explore: Plymouth’s regeneration from naval decline to...
In the final Meet the Leader episode of 2024, Nick chats with Shantanu Rajawat, Leader of Hounslow Council. Shantanu shares the journey that lead him to leading one of London’s most dynamic boroughs. They discuss the challenges of leadership, the importance of empowering young people, and bold ambitions for growth and opportunity in Hounslow. A must-listen for anyone passionate about community leadership and local government! Hosted by Cratus Group CEO Nick Kilby, the Meet the Leader p...
In this special episode of Meet the Leader, Nick reflects on the incredible leaders that have featured on the show this year. From the leaders of BCP Council right up to Leeds City Council, he shares their key moments and insights in this yearly round up. Hosted by Cratus Group CEO Nick Kilby, the Meet the Leader podcast is a space to learn about the leaders in local government, highlighting the tremendous work they do for the communities they serve. You can listen to the previous episodes ...
In this episode of Meet the Leader, we sit down with Nick Adams-King, the newly appointed leader of Hampshire County Council. Nick shares his unconventional journey from running drag cabaret restaurants to navigating the complex world of local government. We explore his experiences as a business owner and the challenges he faced balancing public service with personal milestones. Nick delves into his vision for Hampshire, addressing issues like deprivation, sustainable development, and local g...
In this episode Nick is joined by Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen, Leader of Breckland Council. Sam shares his journey from a young councillor to council leader, inspired by his mother’s community work. They discuss the unique challenges young people face in politics, balancing career and public service, and Sam’s approach to mentorship. Sam highlights his vision for Breckland, focusing on community-driven planning and the award-winning “Inspiring Communities” program, tackling social issues li...
For this episode of Meet the Leader, host Nick Kilby is joined by Councillor Andy Mellen, Leader of Mid Suffolk District Council - the only council in the country outright controlled by the Green Party. In this episode, Cllr Mellen talks about his journey into local government and his role as both as County and District councillor, while diving into the details of his fascinating career that saw him working in education and development in Nigeria and Malawi for six years. Hosted by Crat...
For this latest episode of Meet the Leader, host Nick Kilby is joined by Councillor Kam Rai, who became the new Leader of the London Borough of Redbridge back in July. Cllr Rai had spent six years as Deputy Leader of the Council, and became Leader of the Council after then-leader Jas Athwal (who appeared in the inaugural episode of this series back in January 2023) became the new MP for Ilford South at the 2024 General Election. In this conversation, Cllr Rai talks about his journey into lo...
For this latest episode of Meet the Leader, host Nick Kilby is joined by Councillor Petrina Lees, Leader of Uttlesford District Council. Cllr Lees represents the Residents for Uttlesford group who have controlled the council since 2019, with her becoming the councils first female leader back in December 2021. During this episode, Cllr Lees talks about her journey into local government which began at the parish level after a 30-year career in nursing. With a passion for community invo...
In this latest episode of Meet the Leader, host Nick Kilby is joined by the Leader of Milton Keynes Council, Councillor Peter Marland. Cllr Marland has been a part of the council for ten years having begun his career in finance, and in this episode he shares his journey into local government which led him to becoming Leader in 2014. In this conversation, Cllr Marland talks about the importance of long-term planning, the future of the city-region and the unexpected story around b...
In this latest episode of Meet the Leader, Nick Kilby is joined by Cllr Vikki Slade. Cllr Slade tells the story of how she first got involved in politics, from her entry to the council to her two terms as Leader as Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council. This conversation also explores the challenges of forming coalitions in 'No Overall Control' councils, which Cllr Slade did firstly with the Unity Alliance in 2020 and then with the Three Towns Alliance following the 2023 L...
For the latest episode of Meet the Leader, host Nick Kilby is joined by Jason Brock who recently stepped down as Leader of Reading Borough Council after a 5-year stint at the helm. Jason's meteoric rise saw him go from by-election candidate to Leader of the Council in under three years, in a time that was dominated with difficult challenges such as financial woes and the Covid-19 pandemic. In this episode, Jason reflects on his journey into politics, his time as Leader and the future ...
The Meet the Leader podcast series returns for May, and Nick Kilby is joined by the Leader of South Cambs District Council, Councillor Bridget Smith. Cllr Smith has led the authority since since 2018 and the District Councillor for the village of Gamlingay for the past 15 years. During this conversation, Cllr Smith discusses her journey into local government and the time spent as Leader so far, as well as the four day working week trial which has attracted so much attention from Westm...
For this latest episode of Meet the Leader, Nick Kilby is joined by the Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council, Councillor Lucy Nethsingha. Cllr Nethsingha dives into the details of her storied journey in local government which has seen her serve at the Parish, City and County level, in addition to also being a former MEP. In this conversation, the pair also talk about the level of support in local government that exists for women and mothers, while also looking forward to Cllr...
For this latest episode of Meet the Leader, Nick Kilby was joined by Councillor Elizabeth Campbell, who has led the Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea since 2017. Cllr Campbell was elected as Leader in the aftermath of the Grenfell Tower Fire, and speaks about the impact that the tragedy has had on her experience as Leader, while looking at the legacy for Grenfell and the council as an organisation going forward. Hosted by Cratus Group CEO Nick Kilby, the Meet the Leader...
No two councils in this country are the same, and that is especially true when considering Epsom and Ewell Borough Council. Since its inception in 1937, the local authority has been controlled by Residents Associations - and is currently one of two RA controlled councils in the entire country, along with Uttlesford. The majority group of the Residents Associations of Epsom and Ewell has been chaired by Councillor Hannah Dalton since May 2021, and for this episode of Meet the Leader, Cll...
Last year, Nick Kilby began the 'Meet the Leader' series as a way to showcase the leaders in local government and spoke to 12 leaders from local authorities across the country. The series is entering into its sophomore year and we begin with our first special guest of 2024, Cllr Grace Williams from the London Borough of Waltham Forest. During this conversation, Cllr Williams recounts her journey into local government which began back in 2016 and saw her become Leader of the Council in 2021 fo...
For the final episode of 2023, we round of the debut year of Meet the Leader as host Nick Kilby (Cratus Group) recounts his top five moments of the series so far that has seen him interview a broad slate of council leaders from across the country. Special thanks to all our guests who have appeared in 2023 for sharing their stories and allowing us to highlight the quality leadership that exists in local government. We look forward to another year of episodes in 2024. Hosted by Cratus CEO Nic...
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 podcast is a space to learn about the leaders in local government, highlighting the tremendous work t...
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 to today, Cllr Harris is the Leader of the first-ever Liberal Democrat administration in the cou...
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 which began as a public transport-loving, Labour-representing nine-year-old and saw him gain experience th...
In this episode, we sit down with Cllr Tudor Evans, one of the most experienced and enduring figures in local government. With over three decades of service, including five terms as Leader of Plymouth City Council, Cllr Tudor shares the journey that brought him into politics, the challenges and triumphs of leading a city through economic transformation, and why he’s still as passionate today as when he first stood for election in 1987. We explore: Plymouth’s regeneration from naval decline to...
