Cllr Sean Matthews has been announced as chair-elect of the County Councils Network (CCN), becoming the first Reform UK politician to chair any national representative body for local government.
Cllr Matthews, who leads Lincolnshire County Council having been first elected in May 2025, was nominated following Reform UK's emergence as the largest party on the CCN after last month's local elections. He will formally take over as chair in September, having served as a CCN vice-chair over the past year.
Pledging to work in a ‘cross-party’ spirit, Matthews said he wants to ensure the voice of county and unitary authorities is heard in the major debates facing local government, arguing that too much Government policy remains focused on urban areas at the expense of county regions.
The CCN's priorities for the coming year include adult social care reform, scrutinising local government reorganisation, and improvements to SEND services, according to Cllr Matthews.
