The next LGA chief executive should be paid ‘less than £170,000’, says the second council leader to announce he is standing as next chairman of the LGA.
Kensington and Chelsea RLBC leader, Merrick Cockell, told The MJ: ‘The big beasts should be the politicians. We don’t need a High Street name. It could be an ex-council chief executive or a star of the future, or even someone outside local government.’
He said, if elected at the annual conference in Birmingham, he expected an immediate meeting to discuss the post, adding: ‘The LGA is not a council dealing with child protection. It’s not that complicated. We can cope very well with an interim for a period if we haven’t found anyone by the end of the year.’
Cllr Cockell, who is a former chairman of London Councils and chairman of the Conservative Councillors’ Association, described himself as a ‘fresh face and a fresh mindset’ at the LGA.
He said in his visits to councils many leaders had told him ‘the LGA needs a good shake-up’, and that ‘too many of them felt disenfranchised.’ He promised, if elected, to spend two to three days a month visiting the members.
Citing his close links with leading Conservatives and ministers, he added: ‘There will have to be a good reason to go into battle with the Government for the sake of it. But if I disagree, I will make my views known, publicly as well as privately.’
He is the second leader to announce the bid to be next chairman. Leicestershire CC leader, David Parsons, launched his own campaign last week.
