Former Cambridge City Council leader Lewis Herbert’s farewell to politics

Cambridge Labour councillor and former leader of Cambridge City Council, Cllr Lewis Herbert has resigned from his long serving role on Cambridge City Council.

For over four decades, Cllr Herbert has either been a councillor or working for local authorities, including 25 years as a serving councillor which culminated in him being awarded the Lifetime Achievement Award at the National Councillor Awards in 2022.

Prior to his election in Cambridge, he was previously elected to the Greater London Council in 1980 as the youngest ever GLC councillor.

Longest serving leader

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From 2004 to 2023 he has been a City Councillor for Coleridge Ward and was Labour group leader from 2006 and became Leader of Cambridge City Council from 2014 to 2021, the longest serving Leader of Cambridge City Council.

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Cambridge Labour Party says Cllr Herbert will be remembered during his tenure for his focus on creating “One Cambridge Fair For All”, addressing poverty and inequality, tackling the climate emergency and also building more council housing and “housing first” for rough sleepers, two causes close to his heart.

“Associated with this, Cllr Herbert secured £70 million to build 500 new council homes for the city, now all complete ahead of schedule, with a further 200 commenced including some net zero and Passivhaus homes, “ said a Labour spokesperson.

“New modular housing also provides 22 new homes for former homeless Cambridge residents, with more planned and Cllr Herbert now plans to work on a new project to expand this to other towns and cities.”

Cllr Herbert said: “It’s been the greatest of privileges to be a Cambridge City Councillor for 19 years, representing Coleridge residents in my favourite part of the city.

“I’m so proud of our city and county councillor team for continually delivering so much for Cambridge.

“And I am just as proud and thankful to our under-recognised hardworking staff who do the real work.

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A proud record on council homes

“Including for delivering so much support to local people in the greatest need, for making tough decisions needed to improve Cambridge infrastructure, and for building and starting now nearly 700 council homes, the achievement that makes me smile the most.”

He added: “My new work for Allia Future Homes continues that last theme, delivering more modular home communities with local partners for people previously homeless or rough sleeping in other cities and communities across the country, learning plenty from the four managed so caringly here by Jimmys Cambridge, and now being expanded further by ‘It Takes A City’”.

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Leader of Cambridge City Council, Cllr Anna Smith also led tributes to Cllr Herbert.

“I want to congratulate Lewis on his lifetime of public service, which has been unparalleled in Cambridge, leading to Cambridge Labour’s biggest ever electoral successes year on year,” she said.

Transforming focus of the council

“During his time as leader, Lewis completely transformed the focus of the council, to one which seeks to support those most vulnerable, through our equality programmes, our focus on addressing the climate emergency and the council homes building programme, of which we are all so proud.”

Cllr Smith added: “But more than this, Lewis will be remembered for his skills as a brillant leader and communicator, who supported colleagues and nurtured relationships across the city.

“On behalf of myself and all our city council colleagues, past and present, I’d like to add my thanks and congratulations to him for so many years of service and wish him the very best of luck as he continues with his future endeavours addressing homelessness.”