Background
Leese was born and brought up in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.
Leese was born and brought up in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire.
Leese was born and brought up in Mansfield, Nottinghamshire. He was educated at The Brunts School and went onto the, graduating with an undergraduate degree in Mathematics.
Leese has been employed variously in youth work, community work, and education research 1979–1988. Leese was elected to the Manchester City Council in 1984 and was its deputy leader from 1990 until 1996, having previously chaired the Committee (1986–1990) and Finance Committee (1990–1995). As of 2011 he is a Labour councillor in the Crumpsall ward.
He was knighted in the Queen"s Birthday Honours 2006 List after overseeing the 10-year regeneration of the city after the Ireland Republican Army bomb of 1996.
He was awarded a Knighthood for "services to local government". Leese was one of the main advocates of Congestion Charging in Greater Manchester, as part of a bid to the Government"s Transport Innovation Fund (TIF) for a £2.7 billion package of transport funding for Greater Manchester.
Congestion charging was ultimately rejected by the local population in a referendum. He is current chair of the North West Regional Leaders Board (4NW).
On 14 April 2010 the British Broadcasting Corporation reported that Leese had stood down temporarily from his post as leader of Manchester City Council after having been arrested on suspicion of the common assault of his 16-year-old stepdaughter.
He was released after accepting a police caution. According to The Guardian, this is an admission of guilt.
He has been the leader of Manchester City Council since 1996 and a member of the Labour Party since 1984.
