While Bob Kerslake was chief executive of Sheffield city council, I was its Liberal Democrat leader for three years from 1999. With his previous post in mind, his reform of the council’s dysfunctional structures earned him the nickname of “the Hounslow axeman”. Bob, outwardly mild-mannered and quiet spoken, wielded the axe expertly and ruthlessly.
He was the consummate professional, visionary in that he could see far ahead what needed doing. After his move to the national arena, listening to him on TV or radio explaining what lay behind yet another piece of outrageous ministerial bad behaviour was a joy. He knew way more about how local and national government work than virtually any elected politician, and contributed much to the well-being and lives of ordinary people.
