A CITY barrister and councillor of 30 years’ standing will this evening be made Lord Mayor of Liverpool.
Barrister Paul Clark made Lord Mayor for 2007-08
A CITY barrister and councillor of 30 years’ standing will this evening be made Lord Mayor of Liverpool.
Liberal Democrat Cllr Paul Clark’s passions for both law and social justice have been intertwined throughout his career.
Born in Walton and educated at St Mary’s College in Crosby, Cllr Clark studied law at Liverpool University and, as he did so, first stood as a councillor in County Ward. At 23, he was one of the youngest councillors on Liverpool City Council.
Professionally, he started out as a Legal Aid lawyer in Skelmersdale, and his specialist interest in personal injury came to the fore.
He was called to the Bar in 1994 and practices at Exchange Chambers in the city centre.
He said: “Specialising in pers- onal injury is what I enjoy. There is a great satisfaction, and if you get a good result it can make a real difference to someone’s life and the quality of care they get.
“It’s very pressurised but very fulfilling if successful.”
Of his career in local government, he said: ”It is very satisfying to be able to make a big change within the community.
“As a young 23-year-old, I wanted to change the world. In those days, the problems were very different in the Walton area.
‘‘ Then the major problem was poverty and housing. Now, the biggest problem is anti-social behaviour and crime.” Now he, his wife Hilary and two daughters are looking forward to what the next 12 months might bring.
He said: “I want to have a more ambassadorial role rather than a ceremonial one. My agenda for my Lord Mayoralty is the ‘Three I’s’ – initiative, image and investment.
“They are where I am going to place my efforts over the next 12 months.
“This is a golden coupling, with our 2007 birthday year and 2008 as Capital of Culture, and as a city, we need to grab this opportunity with both hands and use it, so at the end of 2008 people outside of Liverpool realise what a great city this is. It is such a marvellous year for the experience and there is so much potential for the city that I’m really looking forward to using my role as Lord Mayor to its fullest.”
Cllr Clark plans to take a sabbatical from his career and work as a barrister just one day a week.
He is only the second barrister to become Lord Mayor of Liverpool, and he is overjoyed that his first official duty is to represent the city at Athens for the Champions League final.
His chosen Lord Mayor’s charities are the Linda McCartney Centre, Alder Hey Imagine and Mersey Regional Epilepsy Association.