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Several former councillors have made the leap from town hall to Whitehall, following last week's general election – raising hopes the next Parliament will have an improved understanding of local communities. Among the high-profile ex-councillors elected last week was Mike Freer, former Conservative leader of Barnet LBC, who beat the leader of the borough's Labour group, Alison Moore, to land the Finchley and Golders Green constituency. Mr Freer pioneered Barnet LBC's ‘easyCouncil' approach to low-cost services, which drew criticism from some quarters of local government. His election campaign focused heavily on localist pledges, including commitments to work with the council for ‘investment in roads, pavements and streetlighting'. On election, he pledged to ‘work tirelessly' on behalf of his constituents. Matthew Offord, Barnet's former deputy leader, also secured a local seat in Hendon. Incredibly, a third former senior member at Barnet, Jane Ellison, won the Battersea seat for the Conservatives. Ironically, Ms Ellison is a former executive at John Lewis – the commercial partnership stereotypically promoted as local government's alternative to easyJet-style services. Other new Conservative MPs include Henry Smith, former leader of West Sussex CC, Heather Wheeler, former leader of South Derbyshire DC, and former Leeds City Council member Stuart Andrew. Angie Bray, former leader of the Conservatives at the London Assembly, landed Ealing Central and Acton. In the Labour camp, the ex- mayor of Waltham Forest, Stella Creasy, was elected as the party's new MP for Walthamstow. Former Lewisham councillor and deputy mayor, Heidi Alexander, also landed a Labour seat in Lewisham East. Elsewhere, Labour's Grahame Morris took Easington in the North East, where he had been a district councillor, with a comfortable majority. The New Local Government Network's director, Chris Leslie, a former constitutional affairs minister, was re-elected through his new seat in Nottingham East. Former Burnley BC leader, Gordon Birtwhistle, took Burnley for the Liberal Democrats. An LGA source told LocalGov.co.uk's sistetr publication, The MJ: ‘It's good to see so many people with local government expertise moving into Parliament. Let's just hope they take with them their understanding, borne out by the general election results and campaign, that it is at community level where things get done.'

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WHITEHALL

Members make leap into Whitehall seats

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