Chris Cooke

Chris Cooke is a British politician who has served as the directly elected Mayor of Middlesbrough since May 2023. Born in 1990 in Middlesbrough, he grew up in care and worked as an IT technician before entering local politics. He was first elected as a councillor for the Newport ward in 2019. As Mayor, Cooke has prioritized a shift toward a service-led organizational culture within the council and has placed a specific focus on improving children's social care services.