• Debbie Weekes-Bernard to succeed Matthew as Deputy Mayor
Matthew Ryder QC is to step down as London’s Deputy Mayor for Social Integration to continue his legal career on a full-time basis.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, today paid tribute to Matthew’s work over the last two years as the capital’s first-ever Deputy Mayor for Social Integration, Social Mobility and Community Engagement.
He praised Matthew for forging strong relationships across London’s diverse communities and the key role he played in developing the Mayor’s ground-breaking strategy to address social integration in London. This strategy is the first time a Mayor has gone beyond the standard approach to social integration by looking at aspects including age, social class, employment status, sexuality, gender and disability, as well as nationality and ethnicity.
The Mayor also announced he is appointing Dr Debbie Weekes-Bernard as Matthew’s successor as Deputy Mayor. Debbie has led policy and research at the Joseph Rowntree Foundation for the last two years, leading the organisation’s work on poverty and ethnicity, education and child poverty.
Debbie is a trustee for the Equality and Diversity Forum and was previously Head of Research at the Runnymede Trust where she was responsible for conducting and commissioning research on racial inequalities in education, the criminal justice system and the labour market, as well as working closely with teachers, trade unions and academics.
Debbie will be the first ever black woman to be Deputy Mayor of London, and her appointment will mean that Sadiq’s team of deputy mayors now consists of seven women and three men.
The Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan, said: “I’d like to thank Matthew for his excellent work over the last two years – his skills and experience have made him a valuable and integral part of my team. We have worked hard to tackle the barriers to social integration and the inequalities that our city faces, and I’m proud that together we have changed the way City Hall works with communities across our capital.
“I’m delighted that Debbie Weekes-Bernard has agreed to be London’s new Deputy Mayor for Social Integration. Debbie brings with her a wealth of experience, having spent years working to tackle poverty and inequality. I know she will do a great job in bringing together our diverse communities and ensuring that all Londoners feel a key part of our city.”
Matthew Ryder said: “It has been a great privilege to work for Sadiq as London’s first Deputy Mayor for Social Integration. I’m incredibly proud of the successes we have achieved and to have played a part in creating a ground-breaking strategy to improve social integration in our capital. It had never been my intention to give up my role as a lawyer permanently and, after two years, this feels the right time to return to my full-time career. I’m grateful to Sadiq for this amazing opportunity to be a part of his team and I look forward to working together again in the future.”
Debbie Weekes-Bernard said: "I’m excited to be joining Sadiq and his team and continuing to develop the vital work City Hall is doing to boost social integration and improve Londoners’ life chances. This is an issue that touches all of us, and I’m committed to working with Sadiq to tackle the inequalities in our city and achieve a truly integrated society.”
Notes to editors
Matthew will leave the Mayor’s team on 9 November to continue his career as one of the country’s leading lawyers full time. Debbie will take on the role in mid-November.