The Mayor - Stamford Town Council

The Role of the Mayor of Stamford

The Mayor is Stamford’s foremost citizen and the ceremonial leader of the town. In cases of unavailability or absence, the Mayor may be represented by the Deputy Mayor, or a senior Councillor (Past Mayor who is an active member of the council), as and when appropriate. The function of the Mayor is entirely apolitical. An effective Mayor can play a major role in promoting a positive image of Stamford and Stamford’s influence and importance at a local, regional, national and international level. A Mayor’s major contribution to the role is to focus on the promotion, development and execution of the Town Council’s vision and core objectives. Residents of Stamford rightfully expect the highest standards of conduct and impartiality in their Mayor and that the incumbent will proactively engage upon a wide range of duties and activities on their behalf during the mayoral year of office.

Mayor Kelham Cooke

Biography: Councillor Kelham Cooke, Mayor of Stamford

Councillor Kelham Cooke grew up primarily in and around Stamford and began a career in business after university, working for one of the UK's leading retailers, Waitrose.

Between January 2013 and August 2023, Kelham worked in the UK Parliament, serving two Members of Parliament, Nick Boles and Gareth Davies, in various roles. On the political side, Kelham also acted as Campaign Manager/Agent for the General Election campaigns in 2015, 2017, and 2019 within the Grantham & Stamford constituency, where responsibilities included creating campaign plans, communicating with activists, drafting literature, fundraising, and ensuring compliance with electoral law.

Elected as a South Kesteven District Councillor in 2011 at the age of 20, Kelham was appointed as Cabinet Member for Corporate Services & Communications in 2015. In 2017, Kelham was elected Deputy Leader of South Kesteven District Council, with the additional role of Cabinet Member for Business Transformation and Commissioning. This position involved overseeing key public-private strategic commercial ventures, partnerships, and projects, as well as accountability for service areas such as property, HR, procurement, and IT.

From July 2019 to May 2023, Kelham served as the elected Leader of South Kesteven District Council. The council, comprising 56 Councillors, covers 365 square miles of South Lincolnshire and serves a population of 155,000 residents. As Leader of the Council, Kelham provided political leadership and strategic direction, including the development of overall strategy, budgets, policy arrangements, and service reviews. The role also involved representing the council in the community and in discussions with regional, national, and international organisations and partners.

In May 2021, Kelham was elected to Lincolnshire County Council as the County Councillor for the Stamford East Division and sits on the Economy & Environment Scrutiny Committee, as well as serving as Vice Chair of the Adults & Community Scrutiny Committee.

In May 2023, Kelham was elected to the St Mary's Ward on Stamford Town Council and, in May 2024, was elected as Mayor of Stamford, with a term of office lasting until May 2025. In his year of office as Mayor, Kelham is looking forward to getting out into the community meeting with local residents, businesses and community groups and standing up for Stamford.

In July 2021, Kelham was elected to the Executive of the Local Government Association for Conservative Councillors and was also appointed as a Board Member of the LGA Local Infrastructure & Net Zero Board.

Outside of politics, Kelham works in Communications and PR on development projects across Essex, Cambridgeshire, Suffolk, Hertfordshire, and Norfolk.

Use of Civic Chains

The wearing of Mayoral and Deputy Mayoral robes, chains and badges is the outward manifestation of Civic Office. There is significant history and protocol regarding the wearing of such insignia. An important point to remember is that the dignity of the Office must be maintained and that the use of civic robes should not be a matter of routine. When wearing the mayoral chain, the Mayor and/or Deputy Mayor should be appropriately dressed as befits the office and never wear inappropriate, casual clothing such as T shirts, jeans or trainers. Mayors and Deputy Mayors should also be aware that it would be a gross breach of protocol for them to wear Chains of Office outside the Town boundary without the express permission of the Council being visited. This caveat includes events held at Burghley House. The Deputy Mayor may only wear a robe and chain in the absence of the Mayor or at the Mayor’s discretion.

List of Past Mayors

The following photographs were taken of the wall panels in the Court Room of the Town Hall.