About

Supporting Members

The LGA Independent Group works with the LGA to deliver improvement support, development opportunities, peer-to-peer advice, guidance, and mentoring to all our Group members. We do this through our national network of regional and Green Party peers. If you would like to find out more about the support available or are interested in becoming a member peer please email our Group Office [email protected].

Representing our Members

The LGA Independent Group is represented by its members on all the cross-party policy and workforce boards and committees at the LGA. These Boards develop the LGA’s policy and lobbying position and takes those messages into Government. Ministers and national partners often attend these meetings, and it provides an opportunity for our members’ views to be represented directly to Government. 

Positions on Boards are advertised annually via the Group Weekly Bulletin and members of our Group are invited to submit an Expression of Interest for a position. To ensure our members can effectively and genuinely represent the views of our Group, we have Think Tanks that feed into each Board to enable debate and discussion. For more information on the Think Tanks and/or applying for a Board position please contact the LGA Independent Group Office. 

Our Leadership

The leadership positions on the LGA Independent Group are voted on every two years. Every member of our Group is entitled to vote. The Group Leader and Deputy Leader become Directors of the LGA, which is a limited company.

The leadership positions are:

• Group Leader, Vice-Chair of the LGA and Company Director – Cllr Marianne Overton MBE
• Group Deputy Leader and Company Director – Cllr Caroline Jackson
• Group Treasurer – Cllr Andrew Cooper

The Leadership is supported by the LGA Independent Group Executive. It is the role of the Executive to hold the LGA Independent Group leadership, the National Lead Peer, the LGA Independent Group Board and Committee members and the LGA Independent Group Office to account, and to ensure the LGA is representing the views of the Independent Group. The LGA Independent Group business plan is set by the Executive, who also have decision-making powers on Board appointments and the overall direction and priorities of the LGA Independent Group. 

The LGA Independent Group at the LGA

The LGA Independent Group is supported by three dedicated members of staff in the LGA Independent Group Office. These officers are employees of the LGA. 

Constitution and Annual General Meeting

The working of the LGA Independent Group is underpinned by the LGA Independent Group Constitution. The LGA Executive reports back to the membership at the Annual General Meeting held every year in July as part of the LGA Annual Conference. All the work of the LGA Independent Group is part of the wider LGA business plan, articles of association and policies of the LGA. 

LGA Independent Group Values

The LGA Independent Group promotes and embodies the following values:

Integrity

• Representing our members and being accountable.
• Striving to earn and sustain a high level of trust from our membership and residents we represent.

Challenge

• Be the voice of local communities and residents, without a party whip.
• Provide a strong focus on scrutiny and accountability for fair decisions.
• Challenge the establishment through our focus on real issues, not politics.

Collaborative

• Respect, value and celebrate the differences of our membership and commit to treating all members with equality, dignity and respect.
• Working together to achieve the best outcomes for the LGA Independent Group, the membership and local residents.

Responsive

• Engage and communicate with our members to address their needs.
• Ensure our relevance by being flexible and adaptable to changing needs and priorities.
• Demonstrate innovation and creativity in the delivery of projects, development opportunities and representation.