New Lord Mayor of Leeds Dan Cohen vows to promote unity in city - and post regular updates on TikTok
Leeds has a new Lord Mayor - and he’s already making waves on TikTok.
Conservative Coun Dan Cohen officially took over the chains of office in May, with bold plans to put a modern twist on one of the city’s most traditional roles.
The lifelong Alwoodley resident told the Yorkshire Evening Post that he wants to use the role to champion tolerance - along with a healthy dose of humour via TikTok videos edited by his daughter.
“It sounds like a cliché to say that it was a massive honour to be chosen - but clichés are often true,” he laughed.
“I’ve lived in Leeds all of my life, so I’ve seen many mayors come and go. To be given the honour of being the city’s first citizen feels incredibly special.”
A solicitor by profession, Coun Cohen is the managing director and head of legal at his family business - but his commitment to community life goes far beyond the day job. He is the president of the city’s largest synagogue and has worked on successful projects to help encourage young professionals to stay and settle in Leeds.
He continued: “I quickly realised that the way to make an impact in the city is by getting involved in the decision making process. I got involved in my local Conservative club and ended up successfully standing for election in 2011.”
In the last few weeks, he has set out his goals for his mayoral year. The first is to simply thank as many community organisations as possible.
“Over the course of the year, I want to say thank you to as many amazing organisations and individuals as I possibly can,” he explained. “I know that might sound a bit mushy, but a ‘thank you’ goes a long way.”
His second focus is inter-faith work, which is something he has been involved in for most of his adult life through organisations such as the Leeds Council of Christians and Jews.
Coun Cohen said: “I’ve always believed that people of faith have a responsibility to reach out and build bridges - there can always be more understanding and tolerance.
“I’ve always thought that when times are good, inter-faith relationships are important, but when times are difficult, they're even more important.
“We should be under no illusion, times at the moment are very difficult - there has been a huge spike in both antisemitism and anti-Muslim prejudice. Tolerance is not where we want it to be. There’s a real responsibility to reach out and build bridges. We should be determined to do everything we can.”
His third priority is fundraising for his chosen Lord Mayor’s charity, Leeds Mencap, which supports children and young people with learning disabilities and their families.
Coun Cohen’s wife, Elayna Cohen, is stepping into the role of Lady Mayoress, while his children are taking an active role behind the scenes - including editing his official TikTok channel.
“My children are excited and feel it’s an honour for the family,” he said. “They are very proud and will be helping in different ways throughout the year. I've made the decision to TikTok throughout my mayoral year, with my daughter editing the videos - so I have my own social media team!
“I think it’s important to try to make the role of Lord Mayor feel accessible and relevant. I'm everyone’s Lord Mayor - it’s not just for one small group. It’s nice to think that people who might not ordinarily engage with that sort of thing can have access to it.”