Richard Janusz Olszewski (born August 1961) is a British Labour Party politician and is the Leader of

Camden London Borough Council Camden London Borough Council, also known as Camden Council, legally The Mayor and Burgesses of the London Borough of Camden, is the local authority for the London Borough of Camden in Greater London, England. It is a London borough council, one o ...

Life

Olszewski grew up in Cambusbarron. He joined the Labour Party to vote for

Denis Healey Denis Winston Healey, Baron Healey (30 August 1917 – 3 October 2015) was a British Labour Party politician who served as Chancellor of the Exchequer from 1974 to 1979 and as Secretary of State for Defence from 1964 to 1970; he remains the lo ...

to beat

Tony Benn Anthony Neil Wedgwood Benn (3 April 1925 – 14 March 2014), known between 1960 and 1963 as Viscount Stansgate, was a British Labour Party (UK), Labour Party politician and political activist who served as a Cabinet of the United Kingdom, Cabine ...

to be Deputy Leader of the Labour Party. He was a

train guard A conductor (North American English) or guard (Commonwealth English) is a train crew member responsible for operational and safety duties that do not involve actual operation of the train/locomotive. The role is common worldwide under various j ...

and trade union official working for the

National Union of Railwaymen The National Union of Railwaymen was a trade union of railway workers in the United Kingdom. The largest railway workers' union in the country, it was influential in the national trade union movement. History The NUR was an industrial union ...

. He was a councillor in

Regent's Park Regent's Park (officially The Regent's Park) is one of the Royal Parks of London. It occupies in north-west Inner London, administratively split between the City of Westminster and the London Borough of Camden, Borough of Camden (and historical ...

in the 1990s but stepped down to focus on being a special adviser to John Reid. He returned to Camden Council in 2014 by narrowly winning the Fortune Green seat from the Liberals. He became the Cabinet member responsible for Finance in 2017. He succeeded

Georgia Gould Georgia Gould (born January 5, 1980) is an American professional mountain bike and cyclocross competitor, and Olympian (2008, 2012). She has earned five career national championships – four in cross-country mountain bike in 2006, 2010, 2011 ...

as Leader of the Council in 2024, after Gould was elected to Parliament. There were several contenders for the role. He narrowly failed to be selected to stand for Parliament himself for the seat of

Dudley Dudley ( , ) is a market town in the West Midlands, England, southeast of Wolverhampton and northwest of Birmingham. Historically part of Worcestershire, the town is the administrative centre of the Metropolitan Borough of Dudley. In the ...

at the 2024 General Election. He was also long-listed for the seat of

Welwyn Hatfield Welwyn Hatfield is a local government district with borough status in the county of Hertfordshire, England. Its council is based in Welwyn Garden City. The borough borders Hertsmere, St Albans, North Hertfordshire, East Hertfordshire, Broxbour ...

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Olszewski, Richard 1961 births Living people Labour Party (UK) councillors Councillors in the London Borough of Camden Leaders of local authorities of England People from Stirling (council area)