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Cllr Louise Gittins has today announced her intention to stand down as chair of the Local Government Association. Gittens said: ‘Chairing the LGA has been one of the greatest privileges of my career, serving in the role and being able to work alongside such dedicated colleagues. ‘Whilst in my role, I have remained leader of Cheshire West and Chester Council and since April I have also served as chair of our new Cheshire and Warrington Combined Authority.‘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.'The Labour politician who become LGA chair in July 2024 added: ‘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.‘We have secured the first multi-year financial settlement in a decade, key funding boosts for our sector across social care, homelessness, and waste, and led the way on influencing major pieces of legislation and policy from SEND and the Children's Wellbeing and Schools Act, to devolution and vapes.'However, her chairmanship has also seen the association go through a turbulent time, with chief executive Joanna Killian going on long-term leave as a restructuring plan for the organisation met with significant internal opposition.Gittens added: ‘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.' Her comments come after Reform-led Newcastle-under-Lyme BC last week announced it was leaving the LGA – branding the organisation a ‘talking shop'. The association said the LGA Labour Group would now nominate a new chair who will be formally elected at the organisation's General Assembly on 7 July ahead of the LGA's Annual Conference in Bournemouth.

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LGA

LGA chair to stand down

By Paul Marinko | 03 June 2026

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