Liam Robinson is not someone you might expect to find at the heart of Liverpool's political scene.
The city's politics is well known for its outspoken, unpredictable and sometimes controversial characters. Robinson's entire pitch is that he is none of these things and that might be exactly what is needed right now for a council that has found itself engulfed by scandals and damaging upheaval in recent years.
The newly confirmed leader of Liverpool City Council was around for those years - he's been a Labour councillor in the city since 2008 - but his work as chair of the region's transport body appears to have kept him baggage-free.
READ MORE: People told to leave their homes within weeks in 'illegal eviction attempt'
The 40-year-old's credentials as a no frills, sleeves rolled-up type of leader are on show immediately as he welcomes me into his office in the Cunard Building. I was expecting to head into the grand mayoral office used by his two predecessors - Joe and Joanne Anderson - but he has opted for an immediate change, moving to a smaller - while still impressive - room next door.
"I didn't want the really big office, this one is very opulent as it is," he tells me. "When I worked on the railways I was used to working out of portacabins at the end of railway platforms so this is very fancy for me."
But there was another reason behind his decision and it speaks to one of his key priorities - group unity.
"The group used to be in a different part of the building and it was really important to me that we brought everyone back together again. So the group have got the big office, we're in and we're ready to go. There is a really great buzz about the team being back at the heart of the council as a team."
Liverpool's Labour group is only recently out of special measures after a 2021 inspection lifted the lid on a 'toxic culture', where bullying and misogyny were rife. The group has often been described as fractured and divisive but Cllr Robinson is confident he can bring people together for the good of the city.
This drive for unity is exemplified by the new cabinet line-up, which includes faces from Mayor Joanne Anderson's most recent cabinet as well as returning figures and some who have never held a portfolio before.
"I'm really enthusiastic about the 61 Labour councillors we have got and I can honestly say I would be happy with having any of them in the cabinet. The group decided who they wanted to be in there and my job with my deputies was to allocate the portfolios," explains Cllr Robinson.
"What we tried to do was make sure everyone is in a portfolio where they have a keen focus and experience. I'm very conscious that we haven't got a lot of time, we need to up the pace of delivery and that's why we need a really strong, professional cabinet and I honestly believe this cabinet is the most professional political administration the city of Liverpool has ever seen."
Some eyebrows were raised amongst the city's opposition groups by the inclusion of city centre councillor Nick Small, who is taking up the growth and economy position in the new team. Cllr Small has found himself involved in a number of investigations in the past year - including the ECHO's parking probe.
But the new leader has no concerns. He added: "If we had concerns about Nick, he wouldn't have stood for the Labour Party. Nick has lots of experience both in and out of the council, he has done a lot of work with social enterprises. Doing the growth and economy portfolio is exactly the right fit for him.
"It saddens me that there is an element of personality politics in the criticisms of him and I would hope we can move away from that. We've got a really good blend in the cabinet - it genuinely is a unified team."
For an outsider looking in at the scandals that have surrounded Liverpool Labour and its management of the council in recent years, there could be an element of surprise at the ease with which they romped to a majority in elections earlier this month. Labour finished on 61 out of 85 seats on a redrawn electoral map. Their nearest challengers were the Lib Dems all the way back on 15.
"We were confident but never complacent," says the new leader. "We did a lot of campaigning right across the city, having deep conversations with residents in every community. The fact we got those results - 61 seats, 52% of the popular vote - was really good.
"But that's not the end of the job, we've got to keep earning people's trust and for those people that didn't vote Labour at these elections or didn't vote at all - we will keep trying to earn their trust for future elections."
He adds: "I think it's fair to say that the opposition parties may have under-performed from where they may have expected to be, I also like to think that new leadership is a fresh approach - I keep telling people that my tenure will be characterized by a lot of hard work and not as many fireworks. It's all about delivering."
"There is also the reality that people are sick and tired of a Tory government and when you think that less than 2% of the city of Liverpool voted for the Tories, that's pretty big. I keep saying to my group, when you go on holiday this summer and people ask where you are from - tell them you are from the most civilized place on earth, where less than 2% of people voted Conservative."
Delivery is a word Cllr Robinson is keen to repeat. He is confident that Labour can do just that in terms of an ambitious manifesto that includes building 8,000 homes and making Liverpool a 'zero-homelessness city.'
"I'm confident that we can do it all," he explains, "and that isn't predicated on a change of government, although of course an incoming Labour government would take that delivery to a whole new level."
He is also keen to tackle the thorny issues that get brought up time and again - including the state of the city streets and problem parking, adding: "These things really matter to people and are important in terms of the perception of the city."
Originally from Macclesfield and then Manchester, Cllr Robinson moved to Liverpool 16 years ago for a job at Lime Street Station and never left. He now lives with his wife and two young children - aged four and six - in the south of the city.
"I might not have been born and raised here but I do consider myself a surrogate Scouser now," he says with a smile, before adding: "and I'm certainly raising two little Scousers."
On his family life, he says: "At the end of the day, whatever job I have here, I'm still dad and that is the most important job. They are used to me being busy but spending time with them just brings me back down to earth."
Throughout our chat, Cllr Robinson puts a lot of emphasis on a collegiate style of leadership - and this extends to the government commissioners that will remain installed at the city council for at least another year. The team were put in place after the release of the devastating Max Caller inspection report in 2021 - and bolstered further last year when it was deemed that improvements weren't happening quickly enough.
While many in the city feel irked at the imposition of costly Whitehall mandarins, Cllr Robinson is choosing to see the plus points.
"Obviously we never, ever wanted government intervention," he explains, "we do have five senior public servants here to assist us, so I want to use all that experience, ideas and energy to improve the city council.
"They have always been clear to me that political decisions are political decisions, they want to see a really effective council that delivers for the people of the city and so do I. So I will be working closely with them and our new chief executive Andrew Lewis."
It was once said about Cllr Robinson that he is 'not exactly political Hollywood' but for most observers of the city's politics in recent years, that is unlikely to be a bad thing.
One thing that does come across strongly is his passion for the city and his desire to get things done.
He adds: "I'm very excited and humbled to be in this position, it is the biggest privilege of my working life. This is an exciting and wonderful city and I'm ready to hit the ground sprinting."
READ MORE:
People told to leave their homes within weeks in 'illegal eviction attempt'
Timothy Schofield jailed for sexually abusing a teenage boy
Updates as M56 blocked due to 'police incident'
Home Bargains founder becomes the wealthiest Liverpudlian in history
