'Why I'm documenting my time as Lord Mayor of Leeds on TikTok'
When Conservative councillor Dan Cohen became the new Lord Mayor of Leeds, he did so with bold plans to put a modern twist on one of the city’s most traditional roles. And, less than a month after officially taking over the chains of office, he’s already making waves on TikTok.
The lifelong Alwoodley resident says he wants to use the role to champion tolerance. He’s also showing a healthy dose of humour on TikTok videos edited by his daughter. “It sounds like a cliché to say that it was a massive honour to be chosen as Lord Mayor – but clichés are often true,” he laughs.
"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.”
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 says: “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. “I want to say thank you to as many amazing organisations and individuals as I can,” he says. “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 explains: “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 charity, Leeds Mencap, which supports children and young people with learning disabilities and their families. Coun Cohen will help the charity during his stint as the 131st Lord Mayor of Leeds.