Chair and Vice-Chairs

Councillor Louise Gittins – LGA Chair

Cllr Louise Gittins was first elected to Cheshire West and Chester Council in 2011, to serve Little Neston and Burton. A year later, she became the Shadow Spokesperson for Culture and Leisure and was subsequently appointed as the Shadow Deputy Leader in 2014.

Following the 2015 election, which saw Labour take control of Cheshire West and Chester Council, Cllr Gittins was named Deputy Leader and Cabinet Member for Communities and Wellbeing, and in May 2019, she was elected as Leader of the Council and continues in this role to date.

Cllr Gittins' portfolio responsibilities as Council Leader include: Devolution; Public Service Reform; Climate Emergency; the local Health Economy; and wider External Partnerships. She also remains Vice Chair of Transport for the North (TfN), Chair of the Cheshire and Merseyside Health Partnership, elected member lead for developing Cheshire and Warrington as a Marmot region; and leader of the Cheshire and Warrington sub regional leaders board.

In her role as Council Leader, Cllr Gittins appointed three Leader’s Champions designed to address three ‘extraordinary challenges’ facing the borough: Climate Emergency, Poverty Emergency and Mental Health.

Nationally, Cllr Gittins was appointed to the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board in September 2020 until being made Chair of its Children and Young People Board two years later. On 5 July, Louise was appointed Chair of the LGA Board, entrusted by her peers to lead the organisation’s efforts in engaging with a new government. 

In her time as Chair, the Government has announced the creation of a new Leaders’ Council, answering the central call in the LGA’s White Paper for a new equal partnership between national and local government, and committed to introducing multi-year settlements. These have been long-standing asks of the LGA, with Louise continuing to lobby Whitehall on behalf of the sector to realise the full potential of both for LGA members.

As Chair, Louise has endeavoured to build the LGA’s profile as the national voice of local government, and has sought to represent members of all regions, tiers, and political colour (and none). Alongside remaining a council leader, she has held many in-person or online engagements with LGA members across the country since her appointment, especially in the context of the English Devolution White Paper and local government finance settlement.

Continuing her passion for supporting children and young people and those with care needs, she has retained the former Chair’s, Shaun Davies MP, corporate priority of enhancing the LGA and sector’s support for care leavers. In autumn 2024, the LGA’s Executive Advisory Board endorsed her proposal to make the issue of health inequalities an additional Chair’s priority for the year, alongside a comprehensive, cross-cutting policy workplan to make this a golden thread through all LGA activities.

To get in touch with Cllr Gittins, please email [email protected].

Councillor Kevin Bentley – Conservative Group Leader and LGA Senior Vice-Chairman

Cllr Kevin Bentley was elected to Essex County Council in 2009 and appointed as the Deputy Cabinet Member to the Leader. Having served two years in this post he was promoted to the Cabinet in 2011 and appointed Deputy Leader to the Council 2013, where he led on Economic Growth and Infrastructure. He was elected Leader of the Council in May 2021.

Kevin is also a Colchester City Councillor and has previously been Leader of the Conservative Group in Colchester. He has served in the Colchester Cabinet holding the portfolio for Business, Tourism and Leisure. He has also stood for Parliament twice in Colchester. Kevin has been the Chairman of LGA People’s and Places Board, and led the Brexit negotiations on behalf of the LGA with Government.

Outside of politics Kevin is the Chairman of the awarding winning PR Digital and Marketing Agency, Mosaic Publicity and is a journalist by profession. Before leaving to set up Mosaic Publicity in 2000 he spent 20 years working for the BBC as a radio and television reporter and producer.

Councillor Bev Craig – Labour Group Leader and LGA Vice-Chair

Cllr Bev Craig became Leader of Manchester City Council on 1 December 2021. First elected in 2011 as a Burnage councillor, she held a range of responsibilities on Manchester City Council, including as Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Health, and Deputy Leader.

Since becoming Leader, her focus has been on Manchester’s ambitious plans to build a more inclusive and sustainable economy, increasing investment into neighbourhoods across the city, better outcomes for children and young people, tackling inequalities, building more housing and working to meet Manchester’s net zero ambitions.

Bev is Chair of Core Cities UK and in Greater Manchester she holds a range of responsibilities on behalf of the city, including leading on the Economy, Business, and International Portfolio for the Combined Authority. 

Originally from Belfast, she moved to Manchester in 2003 for university. After graduating from the University of Manchester she began her career in Local Government, before working in higher education and then a national trade union leading on social care. Outside of politics she enjoys sports and being outdoors, music, culture and enjoying all that Manchester has to offer.

Councillor Joe Harris – Liberal Democrat Group Leader and LGA Vice-Chair

Cllr Joe Harris has over 13 years of experience in public service, combining strategic policy development, stakeholder engagement, and effective governance to drive positive change in local government. Elected to Cotswold District Council at the age of 18, he has demonstrated a long commitment to public service, rising to become Leader of the Council in 2019 and the Liberal Democrat Group Leader and LGA Vice-Chair in 2021.

As Leader of Cotswold District Council, Cllr Harris has overseen the creation of a comprehensive corporate plan addressing both local and national priorities, including economic growth, community resilience, and environmental sustainability. His leadership during critical periods, such as the COVID-19 pandemic and the cost-of-living crisis, underscored his capacity for crisis management and stakeholder collaboration, ensuring effective service delivery and strong community engagement.

Nationally, Joe’s role as Vice-Chair of the LGA has seen him advocate on behalf of over 3000 Liberal Democrat councillors across England and Wales. He has been involved in high-profile initiatives to strengthen local government’s voice in national policy and represented the LGA at major events such as COP26 and the UK-France Local Government Forum. 

Cllr Harris’s leadership extends to various governance roles, including serving on the Executive of the District Councils Network and acting as shareholder representative for the Publica Group. He has also chaired the Gloucestershire County Council's Economic Growth Scrutiny Committee, scrutinising policies to help increase sustainable economic development in the region.

Joe has a collaborative approach to cross-party engagement. His professional background also includes experience in digital content management and social media strategy.

Councillor Hannah Dalton – Independent Group Leader and LGA Vice-Chair

Hannah has been a Residents’ Association councillor on Epsom and Ewell Borough Council since 2015 and became Leader in 2021. She is currently Chair of the Surrey Leaders Group as well as the Independent Vice Chair on the South England Councils Board.

Hannah is passionate about female empowerment and the need to increase female representation across all levels of politics. In her role as DCN spokesperson for homelessness and housing, Hannah wants to seek opportunities for local government to work with central government to find long term solutions.

Hannah has a career in Human Resources which has included a period living and working in Madrid, and she continues to work as an HR Director.

Outside of politics and work, Hannah enjoys spending time with family and friends, perusing cookbooks which she occasionally cooks from and adding to her vinyl collection.

Councillor Stephen Atkinson – Reform UK Group Leader and LGA Vice-Chairman

County Councillor Stephen Atkinson is the Leader of Lancashire County Council, and represents the division of Ribble Valley South West. He served as leader of Ribble Valley Borough Council from January 2019 until he stood down earlier this year.

Born in Lancashire, a self-trained engineer, he started his first business venture with his brother at the age of 21. Together they now run a Lancashire-based educational furniture business as well as invest in commercial and industrial properties in the area. 

Councillor Atkinson is married with two sons and describes himself as a devoted family man. In his spare time, he has a great love for the outdoors, enjoying walking, skiing, motorcycling, and sailing.