Local Government Leaders' Council


The Local Government Leaders' Council or simply the Leaders' Council is a forum in the United Kingdom that brings together the Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, other ministers in the UK government, and leaders of representative bodies of local government.

Purpose

The council aims to be a "regular forum for the key sector representatives to discuss strategic questions impacting local government, to share key and evolving challenges, and co-design solutions".
The English Devolution White Paper published on 16 December 2024 states that the council "… together a representative group of local authority leaders with the Deputy Prime Minister and other ministers so that local leaders have a seat at the table in government and policy solutions can be co-designed with local government."

Members

Organisations represented on the council include the Local Government Association,, Core Cities Group,, County Councils Network, District Councils' Network, and London Councils.
Most members of the council represent only local government in England, but a small number also represent cities in Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales. The main local government representative bodies of Northern Ireland, Scotland and Wales are not represented on the council.
As of October 2024, the membership of the council is as follows:
OrganisationGeographical extentRepresentativePosition within organisation
Government of the United KingdomUnited KingdomSteve ReedSecretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government
Government of the United KingdomUnited KingdomJim McMahonMinister of State for Local Government and English Devolution
Core Cities GroupUnited KingdomJames LewisChair
County Councils NetworkEnglandTim OliverChair
District Councils' NetworkEnglandSam Chapman-AllenChair
England and WalesJohn MerryChair
Local Government AssociationEngland and WalesLouise GrittinsChair
London CouncilsGreater LondonClaire HollandChair
EnglandStephen HoughtonChair

Meetings and activities

Meetings

The first meeting of the council took place in October 2024. The council meets four times a year.

Activities

On 7 October 2024, the organisational members of the council sent a letter to the Chancellor of the Exchequer Rachel Reeves urging reform of the local government funding system to help stable local authority finances.