Full-time solicitor, father-of-two, long-serving councillor...and now Mayor of Barnet. Melvin Cohen talks to Alex Kasriel

Melvin Cohen wasn't only celebrating his inauguration as Mayor of Barnet when I went to visit him at his legal practice.

The atmosphere at Landau and Cohen in Edgware High Street last Friday (May 23) was lifted by the occasion of Mr Cohen's 54th birthday.

The Conservative councillor is a prominent member of Barnet's Jewish community. The father-of-two has also been variously described as a 'family man' and the best solicitor in the borough' by his colleagues.

Although he is divorced, Mr Cohen's family is close to his heart, and he is conspicuously proud of his two sons: Justin, 22, a journalist, and Dean, 20, who is studying estate management at Oxford Brookes University.

"They're good boys," he said. "Dean's got political ambitions as well. He's going to continue the dynasty."

As for his label as the best solicitor in Barnet, Mr Cohen couldn't deny it. "I'm not going to disagree," he said.

"It was very kind of former Hendon South MP John Marshall to say it. I'm a property lawyer and I have been doing it for 25 years, so I probably know a little bit about it."

But, as labels go, a thoroughly Barnet man' might suit him best.

Mr Cohen lives in Broadfields Avenue, Edgware, and his office is within walking distance. He protests that he has lived in different places, but by that he means the difference between Golders Green, Hendon and Edgware.

"To be fair, I'm one of the longest-serving councillors Barnet has ever had. I'm very pleased to have the mayoralty," he said.

"I have lived in Golders Green for 30 years of my life. My father and sister live in Golders Green and I represent Golders Green and have done since May 1982."

It was at Hasmonean School in Hendon that he first got involved in politics.

"I was 16 and I found politics fascinating. I got involved with helping the political party at elections in the late 60s," he said.

"I know I have got a reputation for being just right of Genghis Khan, but I'm not actually. I'm a pragmatic politician rather than a dogmatic one.

"My background is Jewish and Jewish people tend to support the Conservative Party. If I grew up in Islington, I might have adopted a different party."

Although Mr Cohen's role as mayor will be more non-political chairing council debates and going on official visits throughout the year he still retains his chairmanship of the planning and environment committee.

For the mayor's charity Mr Cohen has picked the Shooting Star Trust.

"This is a smallish charity building a hospice for children in Hampton, Middlesex," he said. "Within the catchment area there are possibly 1,000 children who need that respite.

"I heard about it and it tugged on my heart strings."

May 29, 2003 13:00