Our governance

The LGA Independent Group Executive Committee is the governing body of the LGA Independent Group. Together with the elected Group Leader, Deputy Leader and Treasurer, it brings together members from across the regions and Wales, along with representatives from the smaller political parties.

The purpose of the Executive is to direct the work of the LGA Independent Group and hold it to account on behalf of all our members. Members take a strategic view across the work of the Group and the LGA. Areas of work will include looking at standards, board appointments, group priorities and policies, working policies, annual conference, events, local elections, etc.

Councillors are appointed for a maximum period of four years onto the LGA Independent Group Executive. We seek councillors from all over the country, including Wales, with a broad range of expertise and experience. To encourage a pipeline of talent, we appoint a young councillor for one year.

We ask all our members of our Executive to:

• Positively and reliably represent the LGA Independent Group as a whole, not just an individual council, group or party
• Seek, articulate and channel the views of LGA Independent Group members across all affiliations
• Demonstrate and promote the values of the LGA Independent Group – Integrity, Challenge, Collaboration and Responsiveness to wider group members and residents;
• Encourage and foster collective debate with all councillors on issues important to the region.
• Contribute to the work of the Group on behalf of the whole, not a specific party/group, region, council or issue
• Attend all Executive meetings
• Treat Executive member discussions as confidential
• Avoid sharing sensitive or confidential information garnered from Executive or Regional meetings on social media
• Respond promptly to emails sent to the Executive for comment or sign off
• Contribute and foster engagement with the wider Group via our think tanks

Our Regional representatives on the Executive are asked to:

• Work with the Group Office and your regional lead peer to host at least one regional meeting a year.
• Feedback on behalf of your region any key issues, concerns, good practice and peer support requirements.

LGA Independent Group Executive Committee

• Group Elected Leader and Chair – Cllr Marianne Overton MBE (Independent - Lincolnshire and North Kesteven)
• Group Elected Deputy Leader and Deputy Chair – Cllr Caroline Jackson (Green Party - Lancaster City)
• Group Elected Treasurer – Cllr Andrew Cooper (Green Party - Kirklees)
• National Lead Peer – Cllr Adam Paynter (Independent – Cornwall)
• Co-opted Plaid Cymru representative – Cllr Colin Mann (Plaid Cymru – Caerphilly)
• Co-opted NALC representative – Cllr Sue Baxter (Independent, Bromsgrove)
• Co-opted Association of Green Councillors (AGC) representative – Cllr Johnny Denis (Green Party, Lewes)
• London and surrounds representative – Cllr Chidi Nweke (Independent, Epping Forest)
• East of England representative – Cllr Caroline Topping (Green Party – West Suffolk)
• East Midlands representative – Cllr Tony Saffell (Independent – North East Leicestershire)
• North East and Yorkshire representative – Cllr Georgina Hill (Independent – Northumberland)
• North West representative – Cllr Andrew Walters (Independent, Salford)
• West Midlands representative – Cllr Craig Browne (Independent, Cheshire East)
• South West representative – Cllr Frank Biederman (Independent, Devon)
• South East representative – Cllr Ian Stephens (Independent, Isle of Wight)
• Independent Wales representative – Cllr Tessa Hodgeson (Independent – Pembrokeshire)

Meeting dates

All Executive meetings are held from 10:30am until 12:30pm, before the LGA Councillors Forum meeting and the LGA Executive Advisory Board meeting. They are held as hybrid meetings, both online and in person at the LGA Offices, 18 Smith Square, London.

The 2023/24 meeting dates of the LGA Independent Group are:

• Thursday 25 January
• Thursday 7 March
• Thursday 6 June
• Thursday 18 July

Attending a meeting

The LGA Independent Group Executive Committee has an open invitation for Group members to attend a meeting of their Executive Committee as an observer.

Attendance at an Executive Committee meeting is a useful opportunity for members to learn more about the work of the Group. Members can join online or in person, although they will need to meet their own travel costs.

Should you wish to attend a meeting please advise the LGA Independent Group Office by contacting:

[email protected]