Leader of the Council
The Leader of the Council is Councillor Peter Box who is elected by all members of the Council at the annual Council meeting. The Leader chairs the Council’s Cabinet meeting (see below) and leads on policy development and implementation.

Providing community leadership, it is the responsibility of the Leader to build a vision for the area and lead the Council and the organisation’s it works in partnership with.  The Leader represents the Authority on regional and national issues, and is accountable for proposing and directing the overall strategy, budget and policy arrangements of the Council.

Peter has been Leader of Wakefield Council since 1998.  He was formerly Chairman of the Council’s Employment and Economic Development Committee.  He is also a former Chair of the Labour Group.

He was educated at Queen Elizabeth Grammar School in Wakefield and until recently worked as a Legal Executive specialising in Probate and Trust work.

Peter is an active member of the Labour Party and is Vice Chair of the Party’s Regional Board.  He is also a member of the National Policy Forum - the Labour Party’s policymaking body.

Peter is Chair of the Yorkshire and Humber Assembly and a member of the Government's Northern Way Steering Group.  He is also a trustee of the Yorkshire Sculpture Park.  He carries out CPA inspections on behalf of the Audit Commission.

Peter’s interests include gardening, music, Irish literature and art deco.  He has a son and two grandchildren.

For details of Cllr Box's Declaration of Interests, please see "Downloads"