Interview: Joanne Anderson – ‘I’m no macho man’ The country’s first black female mayor Joanne Anderson (Lab) has explained to LGC how she will have a different approach to her near namesake predecessor Joe Anderson in Liverpool City Council's top political role. While the former mayor and other political leaders before him in the solidly Labour city have adopted a more confrontational tone in their language towards recent Conservative governments, Ms Anderson told LGC: “I'm no macho man. I won’t be going into battles and being all macho about it, because that's not how I operate. I’m a professional - I've had a whole career [outside politics]. So I'll be professional.”