Robin was Chair of London Councils from 2000-2006, a Committee Member of London 2012 and a Director of the London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (LOCOG). As Chair of the stakeholder Committee representing the six Olympic Boroughs he led the successful campaign to secure a local legacy benefits from the Games.

As Leader (1996 – 2002) and later executive Mayor (2002 – May 2018) of Newham he was the first to provide free school meals for all primary children, introduced the first Borough wide private sector licensing scheme, set up new housing companies to deliver social, affordable and market rent properties and pioneered an innovative, ethical, commercial approach to the ownership and management of Council services to challenge traditional in-house and outsourcing models. Working with large private sector employers he created a hugely successful jobs brokerage, matching local residents looking for work to employer needs with the result that unemployment rates in Newham saw the largest decrease in the UK. During the most financially challenging time for local government in living memory there were no cuts to front line services and Council Tax was frozen for 10 years.

He was awarded a knighthood in 2000 for services to local government.

Robin is currently Chief Executive of Municipal Partners Ltd and a Senior Policy Advisor at Policy Exchange.