Bill Taylor (politician)

Sir Bill Taylor is the former leader of Blackburn with Darwen Council and current election agent for Blackburn MP, Justice Minister Jack Straw. He was Mayor of the Borough of Blackburn from 1989-90 and was Knighted in 2003 for services to local government. [ [http://www.number10.gov.uk/files/pdf/Queens-List-2003.pdf Queen's Honours List] , 2003]

Education and professional life

Taylor graduated in Politics, Education and Trade Union Studies at Lancaster University in 1973, and in 1976 achieved an Advanced Certificate of Education at Manchester Polytechnic. He returned to Lancaster University to gain an MA in Education in 1985.

His professional life was entirely within youth and community work. He has been a detached worker, centre based, area focussed and a school based youth tutor. Latterly he was a youth and community work trainer and manager in multi-ethnic Blackburn for 22 years and neighbouring more rural Ribble Valley for 11. He retired from this work in early 2006.

Politics

Within Blackburn's local government he chaired various committees including Recreation, Community and Leisure, Ethnic Minorities Consultative, Urban Regeneration, Management and Finance, Education and Policy, and Resources. He was very active in many sub regional, regional and national bodies.

Consultancy work

Since retiring Taylor has established a consultancy "Complete Achievement" now trading as "Improve Your Council". He has worked with the Local Government Association and the Improvement and Development Agency.

In 2006, Taylor became a non-executive director and advisory consultant at the "social research, consultation and public involvement company" Vision Twentyone [ [http://www.visiontwentyone.co.uk/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=6&Itemid=40 Sir Bill Taylor joins Vision Twentyone] , Vision Twentyone media release, 4 August 2006] and a non-executive director of Community Business Partnerships, whose stated aim is to "engage the Private Sector in contributing to the development of the [local] areas' future" [ [http://www.cbpartners.org/ Community & Business Partners Limited website] , accessed 30 July 2008]

Most recently in 2007, Taylor has been engaged by the Local Government Association (LGA), the Improvement and Development Agency (I&DeA) some Local Strategic Partnerships and District and County Councils to help them develop and prioritise their work to best fit both bottom-up and top-down priorities.ref This has taken Taylor back on to the national scene in London and across the north of England.ref Future assignments in 2008 will see him operating in the south west too. He has also been engaged by the Prince's Trust to guide them to work better alongside local councils.

He has also been engaged as an Associate Lecturer at the University of Cumbria, formerly the University College of St Martins.

External links

* [http://www.lancashiretelegraph.co.uk/blogs/billtaylor/ Bill Taylor blog] for "Lancashire Telegraph"
* [http://www.improveyourcouncil.co.uk/ Improve Your Council] - Taylor's consultancy business

References