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The Local Government Association (LGA) is getting closer to making a membership offer to strategic authorities as Bury MBC's leader prepares to take over as chair.It is understood the offer to strategic authorities was discussed at a meeting of the LGA's board last week, days before Cllr Eamonn O'Brien was announced as the replacement for Cllr Louise Gittins.An LGA source said: ‘There are the foundations of an offer for strategic authorities. We are working towards that quite quickly. It's turning into a thing now rather than an aspiration.'Appointed Labour leader of Bury in 2020, O'Brien also holds the portfolio for technical education and skills and clean air for the Greater Manchester Combined Authority.O'Brien is expected to be formally elected as LGA chair at the organisation's general assembly next month in Bournemouth after he was nominated by the Labour group.The MJ understands O'Brien was the only councillor to put their name forward to lead the cross-party association.Craig is expected to want to go for the Greater Manchester mayoralty should Andy Burnham succeed in his bid to return to Westminster next week.She would then have the option of whether to bring the Greater Manchester Combined Authority into LGA membership.Former chair of the Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities Sir Stephen Houghton had also been floated as a contender for LGA chair.Gittins' two-year chairmanship has included the association going through a turbulent time, with chief executive Joanna Killian on long-term leave as a restructuring plan for the organisation met with internal opposition.Former Camden LBC chief Jenny Rowlands has been brought in to fill in for Killian, with little movement on the restructure now expected until after Cllr O'Brien has taken over.A senior LGA source said: ‘Jenny is a calming influence, which is helpful. She's marking the homework of the senior leadership team but not yet saying what she's going to do. It's a critical time but we're in a holding pattern at the moment.'Gittins' announcement came after Reform UK-led Newcastle-under-Lyme BC said it was leaving the LGA – branding the organisation a ‘talking shop'.However, with the leader of the LGA's Reform group Stephen Atkinson seeing value in the association, an exodus of members is not expected.The LGA insider said: ‘I'm not convinced it's going to be a thing.'Gittins said: ‘Throughout my time as chair, the LGA and the wider local government sector have worked constructively together through significant challenges and reforms, including local government reorganisation and the fair funding review.‘Together, these moments have exemplified the LGA's unique strength and core tradition that we speak more powerfully as one collective voice for all councils, regardless of their party, region or tier.'While in her LGA role, Gittins remained leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council and since April has served as chair of Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority.Gittins continued: ‘With elections at my council taking place in 2027, now is the time to step back from the LGA and focus all my efforts on unlocking the opportunities this new chapter brings for the place I call home.‘During my time as LGA chair, we have seen our central call of the LGA's White Paper answered by the Leaders' Council – a new equal partnership between central and local government.' Editor's comment: Heather Jameson asks if the new chair of the LGA has an impossible job in an era of populism and adversarial politics

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LOCAL GOVERNMENT ASSOCIATION

EXCLUSIVE: LGA moves closer to strategic authority offer

By Dan Peters, Heather Jameson, Paul Marinko | 11 June 2026

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