Ben has long been a passionate advocate for the power of local communities, having led voluntary projects from a young age. At just 11, he founded and chaired a Youth Council to demonstrate the value of diverse perspectives in local government. He collaborated with The Prince’s Trust to deliver youth facilities and later co-founded the UK Youth Parliament with peers across the country. At 16, Ben was elected by young people across Essex to represent them.
From age 18, Ben has served as a school governor across primary, secondary, and further education boards. As Chair of Governors, he worked with the Department for Education and the Church of England to guide schools through academy conversions and sponsorships. He also served as a Sponsor Trustee and Director of the City of London’s Education Board, overseeing strategy for 10 sponsored academies, 3 independent schools, and a maintained primary school. Additionally, he was a Sponsor Trustee and Director of the City of London Academies Trust.
In 2007, Ben was elected as a local Councillor in Epping Forest, later serving as Deputy Mayor and then Mayor – at the time, he was thought to be the youngest person ever elected Mayor in the UK. He represented the Council on various external bodies, including the Local Government Association, Police Authority, and Royal British Legion. He is also an ambassador and active fundraiser for several charities.
Ben was elected to the City of London Corporation as Councillor for Bishopsgate in 2017, winning 68% of the vote, and was re-elected in both 2022 and 2025.
Deeply committed to tackling social deprivation, Ben has been instrumental in addressing homelessness in the City. As a founding member of the Homelessness and Rough Sleeping Sub-Committee, he championed Operation Luscombe – a multi-agency initiative to guide individuals away from street homelessness into sustainable accommodation – and supported the repeal of the Vagrancy Act. Ben currently serves on the City’s Police Authority Board, which is the national lead force for cybercrime and fraud.
A strong proponent of transformation and efficiency, Ben has actively advocated for modernising the City of London Corporation to reflect the communities it serves and to leverage data, automation, and artificial intelligence to deliver better value for money. He is the Chairman of the Corporate Projects and Procurement Committee, overseeing £700 million in annual procurement, 1,200 live contracts worth £2.7 billion, and 300 active projects valued at £2.5 billion, delivering key services and infrastructure for London and beyond.
Professionally, Ben has worked as a Chief Operating Officer for several investment banks in the City of London, supporting sales and trading teams in their response to major regulatory and cultural change initiatives. He continues to commute from his home in Epping Forest to Liverpool Street each day.
