The Lord Kerslake | |
|---|---|
 Kerslake in 2012 | |
| Head of the Home Civil Service | |
| In office 1 January 2012 – September 2014 | |
| Prime Minister | David Cameron |
| Preceded by | Gus O'Donnell |
| Succeeded by | Jeremy Heywood |
| Permanent Secretary Department for Communities and Local Government | |
| In office 2010–2015 | |
| Preceded by | Peter Housden |
| Succeeded by | Melanie Dawes |
| Member of the House of Lords Lord Temporal | |
| Life peerage 17 March 2015 – 1 July 2023 | |
| Personal details | |
| Born | Robert Walter Kerslake (1955-02-28)28 February 1955 Bath, Somerset, England |
| Died | 1 July 2023(2023-07-01) (aged 68) |
| Political party | None (crossbencher) |
Robert Walter Kerslake, Baron Kerslake,FAcSS (28 February 1955 – 1 July 2023) was a British seniorcivil servant. He was thehead of the Home Civil Service from 2011 to 2014, succeeding SirGus O'Donnell.[1]
Kerslake was born on 28 February 1955 inBath, Somerset.[2] He attendedThe Blue School, Wells.[3] He graduated with a first class degree in Mathematics from theUniversity of Warwick, where he was general secretary of thestudents' union.[4]
Kerslake qualified as a member of theChartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy and went on to hold a number of posts with councils in London before becoming chief executive of theLondon Borough of Hounslow. He then moved toSheffield to take up the post of chief executive ofSheffield City Council in 1997. From 2008 to 2010 he was chief executive of theHomes and Communities Agency, and in September 2010 was appointedpermanent secretary of theDepartment for Communities and Local Government.[5] In December 2014 he was appointed the chair ofKing's College Hospital NHS Foundation Trust, to begin in June 2015.[6] He was introduced as acrossbenchlife peer in theHouse of Lords on 17 March 2015,[7] and in October 2016, he became chair of the board of governors atSheffield Hallam University.[8]
In July 2017, Kerslake was appointed chair of the independent investigation of theManchester Arena bombing. The results of the investigation were published in a report, commonly referred to as the Kerslake Report, in March 2018.[9][10]
In December 2017, Kerslake resigned as chair of King's College Hospital Trust saying he protested at the "direNHS funding problems", and calling for "a fundamental rethink [of] ... the way that the NHS is funded and organised".[11] Shortly afterward, reports surfaced that he had been asked to resign by the chair of NHS Improvement two days previously owing to the trust's "poor financial performance".[12]
From July 2018, Kerslake chaired theUK2070 Commission focusing on city and regional inequalities in the UK.[13] In 2019 he became chair of theNew Economics Foundation.[14] In 2022, he became chair of Stockport Mayoral Development (MDC).[15] In 2023, it was reported that he had been working with theLabour Party in preparation for the2024 general election.[16]
Kerslake died from cancer on 1 July 2023, at the age of 68.[17]
In 2003, Kerslake was named in aGuardian list of the 100 most influential people in the public sector.[18]
In 2004, he received anhonorary doctorate fromSheffield Hallam University for his "distinctive contribution to public service".[19]
In the2005New Year Honours, Kerslake wasknighted "for services to Local Government".[20][21][22]
In 2012, he became anhonorary graduate (Doctor of Law) of theUniversity of Warwick.[4]
In 2015, Kerslake was made alife peer, taking the titleBaron Kerslake, of Endcliffe in the City of Sheffield.[23][24] He was also elected afellow of the Academy of Social Sciences (FAcSS).[25]
| Government offices | ||
|---|---|---|
| Preceded by | Permanent Secretary of theDepartment for Communities and Local Government 2010 to 2015 | Succeeded by |
| Preceded by | Head of the Home Civil Service 2012 to 2015 | Succeeded by |
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