New LGA chairman elected

Cllr Margaret Eaton

The LGA has appointed its first female chairman in its 11-year history. Cllr Margaret Eaton was elected to the post by the LGA executive after being nominated by fellow Conservatives.

Cllr Eaton, a former leader of the LGA’s Conservative group, received a clear majority in an election among fellow party members to be the Conservative group’s nominee. Her nomination was endorsed at a meeting on Thursday of the LGA executive, which represents senior councillors from all four political groups.

Cllr Eaton OBE, who has been a councillor since 1986, said her new role was an important and exciting challenge.

“The LGA is the national voice for local government and I am committed to ensuring that we can help every council across the country to be free from central control and financed to deliver the best services for local people at the right cost to the taxpayer,” she said.

Paul Coen, LGA chief executive, said he was delighted at Cllr Eaton’s appointment, adding: “Margaret’s experience of leading such a diverse, urban, northern city as Bradford demonstrates the LGA’s continuing commitment to represent all councils from every part of the country regardless of political colour.

“Margaret has vast experience and a proven track record as a leader, and this will benefit the LGA and the sector in our dealings with government and in our desire to help councils, whatever political party, to become even better.”

The appointment process was triggered when former chairman Sir Simon Milton stood down to take up a full-time post with London mayor Boris Johnson.

Cllr Eaton has a wealth of local government experience having served as leader of Bradford metropolitan district council from May 2000 until 2006 and as leader of the LGA Conservative group between 2005 and June 2008.

She is married to John, a solicitor, and has two grown-up children. There were four other candidates in the race to become chairman.

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Have your say

  • Ensure that council's complaints procedures mean anything in reality and stop allowing councils to investigate matters behind closed doors. You will be aware that a lack of transparency and openness allows nepotism, self servedness and corruption to flourish. Please also tell them to include the complainant in the process and look at the evidence. I live in hope.

    Tony Wise on 05 Sep 2008

  • The LGA needs to tackle the corruption within local authorities. This includes the recruitment process ie law should state that a percentage of directors, heads of and CEO's (namely senior level posts) should comprise private sector workers who enter the public sector at this level. Clearly there is a need to stop such roles from being filled from in-house (public Sector) workers.

    on 09 Sep 2008

  • Firstly, congratulations to Cllr Eaton. In my opinion, the first priority ought to focus on ensuring that local government is seen a being relevant to people's lives. This is a huge task! I am sure that everyone will agree, we need to get more people to vote in local elections and also enable people to feel they have some ownership in what happens in their area.

    John Rodgers on 09 Sep 2008

  • Congratulations to Cllr M Eaton. One priority for the LGA is to make sure that Local Involvement Networks (LINks) are independent from the local authority. The independence of the LINk is sacrosanct. The host’s role is strictly that of secretariat. This distinction is clearly delineated in the Act and regulations and must be respected. Unfortunately, there are signs that already the host/local authority is overstepping its remit and this is unhelpful. It would be of great help if the LGA helped local authorities recognise the separation of roles as described,not allow the boundaries to become blurred.

    Emmerson Walgrove on 12 Sep 2008

  • It is the job of local authorities to make progress against global warming in spite of global economic difficulties. Climate chaos is already causing much suffering around the world: for example farmers whose lands are ruined by sea flooding are becoming climate refugees. "Green" measures like insulation have to be made to benefit some of the poorest people in our own society, such as tenants, and people who live in old stone houses unsuitable for cavity insulation.

    Heather Grinter on 15 Sep 2008

 

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