Lib Dem membership pack

We exist for our membership and the people they serve. Our members are central to our success, allowing us to focus on the key issues affecting local places and residents. In the past year our priorities have included long-term and sustainable funding; adult social care; children’s services; housing and planning; and devolution and local government reorganisation (LGR); and delivering high impact support at low cost to the sector.

We have leveraged our legal, analytical and lobbying expertise to coordinate efforts on behalf of our members. Through our policy development, lobbying and influencing, we have helped secure positive changes for local government. Our events, training, guidance and support helps to equip councillors, including council leaders, and officers with the knowledge and tools to navigate a wide range of issues – from governance to cyber security, to recruitment and retention. 

Thank you to our members for continuously and tirelessly representing residents and what they need, and for being a bastion of local leadership. We hope that this membership pack demonstrates the value of councils working together through the LGA as your national voice. We will continue to listen and engage with you, ensuring that our offer as a membership body meets your needs.

The Liberal Democrat Political Group is one of six political groups at the LGA – Labour, Conservative, Reform UK, Liberal Democrats, Greens and Independent – each supported by a group office.

Each political group has an elected leader and appointed head of group office (with other staff as required). The head of each group office is a member of the LGA Extended Leadership Forum.

The group offices, including their political leadership, oversee elections and membership to LGA Committees, Forums and Commissions. Group offices also act as a secretariat for the work of their group, including:

• advising and supporting group leaders, deputies and other office holders in the effective management of LGA political activity
• influencing, liaising and networking with Government, shadow teams and party administrations
• providing information and communication to and from political groups in councils, both active members and groups more generally
• maintaining a watching brief over council performance and coordinating political intervention where and when necessary
• helping sustain campaigns, policy and media
• reviewing consultation and evidence submission
• public affairs work.

The formation of a political group office also ensures political representation at each of the LGA’s policy committees, including chairmanship of committees depending on the size of the group.
Councillor Bridget Smith is Leader of the Liberal Democrat Group and is as a result a member of the LGA Board.

More information about each of the groups can be found on their respective webpages.
 

This May saw yet more Liberal Democrat Councillors elected, 844 wins with a net gain of 155 – our eighth year in a row that we have increased our numbers.

We now have a Liberal Democrat majority on around 40 councils. If you add in Liberal Democrat council leaders either as minority control or part of an alliance or coalition arrangement, then we lead around 76 councils. Across the country we have over 3,360 Liberal Democrat councillors, working hard to make a difference in their communities.

Bridget Smith
Leader of the LGA Liberal Democrat Group

Amanda Hopgood
Deputy Leader of the LGA Liberal Democrat Group

Group Leader and Vice Chair of the LGA

Councillor Bridget Smith, South Cambridgeshire District Council

Bridget was born in Durham, has lived in Sierra Leone and relocated to Belfast during ‘The Troubles’. She read psychology at Durham University and her first job was at Manchester Royal
Infirmary. She subsequently took a research position at the School of Clinical Medicine, University of Cambridge. She remained at the University for postgraduate study going on to teach in South Cambridgeshire, and eventually became Head of an Upper School.

Bridget took time out to be a full-time carer for one of her sons, during which time she published two books and established a successful community development charity.

Bridget entered politics in 2008 whilst running a community development consultancy specialising in environmentally sustainable community facilities. She won a number of awards for this work. In 2018 she became Leader of South Cambridgeshire District Council and also sits on the boards of the Cambridge and Peterborough Combined Authority, the LGA, The District Council Network and the Cambridge Growth Company.

Bridget is currently the longest-serving female Liberal Democrat Council Leader, with extensive experience in transformation, cultural change, policy development, and governance; including leading the UK’s first public sector Four-Day Working Week
trial. She is an LGA Peer Mentor, an experienced mediator, and a sought-after public speaker on local government reform, leadership, and innovation.

Email: [email protected]

Group Deputy Leader

Councillor Amanda Hopgood, Durham County Council 

Amanda was first elected in February 2005 in a local by-election onto Durham City Council, becoming Chair of the Economic Scrutiny panel before the year was out and within 2 years was enrolled by the council leader onto the LGA Leadership Academy programme. From 2007 until the abolition of the City Council and the creation of Durham County Unitary Council in 2009 she was Chair of Overview and Scrutiny.

Amanda has been Liberal Democrat Group on Durham County Council since May 2013. In May 2021 Amanda was elected the Leader of Durham County Council, where she led a rainbow alliance consisting of 4 different groups, Amanda was the first female Leader in its history and the first non-Labour leader for 103 years.

During her administration the council’s children’s services moved from Requires Improvement to Outstanding, increased
employment within the county with over 8000 more people in work, delivered record capital investments three years in a row, increased tourism and visitor economy to over £1 billion per annum and worked with other leaders to deliver a devolution deal for the North East. On the combined authority she was the cabinet member for Culture, tourism, sport and the arts.

Amanda has been a Peer Mentor within the LGA for over three years and for the last year has been a member of the LGA Executive Board where she has been able to share her experience as a member of a unitary, district and combined authority member as well as the experience of the process of local government reorganisation.

In May 2025, Reform swept to victory in Co Durham where they took control, the Liberal Democrat group were the only group not to lose any seats and in fact grew once again under Amanda’s leadership. She now leads the biggest opposition group of Liberal Democrats in the country to a Reform controlled council and has been asked by the Party Leader to Chair a group of senior Liberal Democrats leaders in the fight against Reform. 

Email: [email protected]

Group Chair

Councillor Lucy Nethsingha, Cambridgeshire County Council 

Lucy grew up in Cornwall, attending her local comprehensive school. Lucy studied Psychology at Southampton University before returning to Cornwall to work as a data analyst in the NHS.

Lucy later switched career and trained to become a primary school teacher and has taught in a variety of schools in Cornwall, Gloucestershire and Cambridge, teaching mainstream and special needs children. Lucy has a masters degree in Education and Psychology from Cambridge University.

Lucy also has a long track record in politics. First elected to Truro City Council in 1998, Lucy has served as a parish, District and County Councillor in Cornwall, Gloucester and Cambridgeshire.

In 2019 Lucy was elected as a Liberal Democrat MEP to the European Parliament, becoming Chair of the Legal Affairs Committee in the European Parliament for an extraordinary 9 months.

Since 2021 Lucy has been the Leader of Cambridgeshire County Council and Chair of the Skills Committee at the Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority.
Lucy is Vice-Chair of the Liberal Democrats Federal Policy Committee, lead member on the County Councils Network and Vice-President of the UK100 group of councils.

Email: [email protected]

Group Whip

Councillor Heather Kidd MBE, Shropshire Council

Heather was first elected in December 1996 to South Shropshire District Council. Heather became Joint Leader in 2001 and Leader in 2003. Heather’s special responsibility was rural affordable housing and believes that rural housing could and should be a driver for the rural economy, help save Council services money and keep rural communities sustainable. Heather also Chaired Licensing Committee and the Taxi appeals panel.

Heather was then elected to Shropshire (unitary) Council to a sparsely populated very rural Division in 2009 and re-elected in 2013, 2017, 2021 and in 2025 becoming Leader of the Council. Heather is a former Scrutiny Chair of Adult Social Care, member of Health and Adult Social Care Scrutiny, and the Joint Overview Health Scrutiny for Shropshire and Telford and Wrekin.
Heather was then lead Liberal Democrat on the LGA’s People & Places Board, and subsequently Liberal Democrat lead on the Safer and Stronger Communities Board and Chaired the Board until 2025.
Heather was born in West Sussex and has lived in Shropshire for 38 years. Heather is married with 4 daughters and 10 grandchildren. They have all chosen to live in the rural border country of Shropshire with Wales working in the NHS, Planning/ planning appeals and local Primary Schools. Heather was a Science teacher in Shropshire, Camden and West Sussex and also worked part time for William Powell, Assembly Member for Mid & West Wales, as the Office Manager and caseworker.

Email: [email protected]

National Lead Peer

Councillor Alan Connett, Devon County Council

Alan is the Lead Member Peer for the LGA Liberal Democrats and Chair of the Audit Committee at Devon County Council.
     
Alan has been a councillor since May 1995 and was twice Leader of Teignbridge District Council until he retired from that authority in 2023. Alan was elected to Devon County Council in the autumn of 2008 and represents the Exminster & Haldon division. Alongside his work as a councillor, Alan is also an independent non-religious funeral celebrant. 

Email: [email protected]

A full list of Liberal Democrat Committee members.

Officer contact

The Liberal Democrat Group Office has three members of staff:

Terry Stacy MBE JP, Head of Office

Terry is responsible for the operation of the LGA Liberal Democrat Group and provides specific support on Housing, Welfare, Local Government Finance, Workforce Issues, Inclusive Growth, Fire & Rescue Services and LGR. He provides support to the chair of the LGA Performance Committee and is a member of the LGA Executive Leadership Team.

Email: [email protected]

Rob Banks, Political Adviser

Rob provides support for policy areas including the Health and Well-Being, the Neighbourhoods, the Public Sector Reform and Innovation, the Human Resources and People Committees. He also provides support for the regular Lib Dem council leader calls, the Liberal Democrat council group researchers network and our presence at party conferences and group elections.
Rob provides support for areas including environment; economy and transport; community well-being; safer communities; and group elections.

Email: [email protected]

Colin Ross, Political Officer

Colin co-ordinates the Liberal Democrat Group’s peer support work and the group’s presence on social media. Colin also provides support for the Children, Young People & Families Committee, the Culture, Tourism & Sport Committee and the Stronger, Safer Communities committee.

Email: [email protected]

LGA Principal Advisers and Regional Teams hold trusted relationships with local authorities across the country and are a bedrock of advice and support, engaging with 100 per cent of councils each year.

Regional teams – underpinned by experienced member and officer peers – offer a unique regional perspective. They are led by principal advisers who each have extensive experience of working at a senior level in local government and the wider public sector.

Our principal advisers work on a cross-party basis with existing sector-owned improvement bodies at sub-national level and with colleagues to provide a variety of support including on children’s and adult’s services.

Regional support programme

Principal advisers and regional teams deliver our regional support programme, which includes the following offers:

• councillor and officer peer support – helping councils to build greater resilience and enhance political and managerial capacity
• officer and councillor peer mentoring – supporting councillors and officers to deliver priorities and manage challenges
• support and guidance to help councils to address severe issues related to performance and/or finance
• advice and assurance regarding organisational leadership, governance and risk management
• mediation to support relationships between senior councillors and officers
• tailored support to councils developing devolution deals
• top team development for senior political leadership teams to enhance decision-making and leadership capacity
• political awareness support for officers, including monitoring officers
• bespoke finance support, including access to financial improvement sustainability advisers (FISAs)
• signposting to resources and good practice on core council activity
• support to address workforce challenges
• regional networking events with shared learning opportunities.

In addition to the above, LGA Principal Advisers and regional teams also provide a front door service to the LGA’s wider support offers. A snapshot of the support available is outlined in this booklet.

Our sector support offer continues to be shaped through direct engagement with the sector – ensuring that all types of authorities (on a cross-party basis) have the support they most need to respond to a wide range of challenges and opportunities.

This offer provides local and combined authorities in England with vital tools and support to deliver critical services to communities, while helping to drive change and improvement across all regions.

A wide range of support is available including as part of our sector support programme, funded by UK Government. This programme alone saves the sector tens of millions
of pounds annually – including through delivering significant economies of scale and through using a peer-based approach.

It includes access to the following:

• Peer challenge and peer support – Corporate Peer challenges (CPCs), Finance Peer Challenges and Governance Peer Challenges provide robust, strategic and credible challenge.
• Local government reorganisation (LGR) and devolution support – Responding directly to sector needs surrounding the English Devolution and Community Empowerment Bill, the sector support programme offers an extended range of support relating to LGR and devolution.
• Governance and assurance – Including our Improvement and Assurance Framework for Local Government and a range of training, development opportunities and tools for councillors and officers to support good governance and assurance.
• Finance – Our financial resilience programme provides a range of support to local and combined authorities, including access to experienced finance associates (FISAs), and wider tools and support to promote good financial management and respond to financial challenges and opportunities.
• Research and data – Featuring LG Inform – our freely available, award-winning data benchmarking platform, which uniquely integrates thousands of data items and allows local authorities and residents to compare their council’s performance against other authorities – and wider tools and support to support data capability.
• National Recruitment Campaign – Coproduced with Solace, the ‘Make a Difference, Work for Your Council’ campaign helps local and combined authorities attract new talent.
• LGA graduate programmes – Impact: The Local Government Graduate Programme boosts capacity and invests in future talent with local government.
• Be a councillor – A campaign which promotes the role of councillor to encourage more people to consider standing for election.
• Councillor development – The LGA provides a range of development opportunities for all councillors—from newcomers to seasoned leaders. Programmes include webinars, short courses, and year-long modules, offered both virtually and in person. Most sessions are cross-party, encouraging collaboration and shared learning, while the Next Generation programme offers tailored support within party groups.
• Officer development – Delivered with specialist partners, officer leadership programmes are tailored to ensure officers have the skills, knowledge and resilience needed to deliver positive change for the sector. Programmes help officers learn from peers on a range of leadership dynamics such as systems leadership, personal leadership, and managing organisations effectively.
• Workforce and HR support – Our comprehensive workforce programmes recognise and respond to complex issues facing the local government workforce, including recruitment and retention challenges, incoming employment law reforms and HR
• Transformation – Our transformation support helps to equip officers and councillors to deliver transformation priorities within their respective authorities.

Our wider sector support offer includes improvement programmes in:

• Partners in Care and Health (adult social care) – As partners in care and health, LGA and ADASS deliver tools and support local authorities to improve the way they deliver adult social care and public health services.
• Children’s services – We offer councils a wide range of support on children’s services improvement, through DfE funded programmes providing support to facilitate and enable improvement for children’s services.
• Cyber, digital and technology (CDT) – Our CDT support offer, funded by MHCLG, provides support to help empower councils to strengthen their digital resilience, share knowledge, and navigate an evolving technological landscape.
• One Public Estate (OPE) – This programme, delivered in partnership by the LGA, Office of Government Property (OGP) (within the Cabinet Office) and Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), supports locally-led partnerships of public sector bodies to kickstart regeneration and transform public service delivery.
• Planning (Planning Advisory Service (PAS) and Pathways to Planning) – PAS offers a range of services to councils and local planning authorities, helping them understand and respond to the Government’s reforms to the planning system. Our specialist graduate programme, Pathways to Planning, is also among our core planning offers, providing local planning authorities with a pipeline of talented, supported new planners each year.
• Joint Inspection Team (JIT) – This is a multidisciplinary team that assess fire hazards and provides specialist fire safety advice to local authorities.
• Procurement – Our procurement and commissioning programme continues to support the increase in the commercial capability, competency and operational effectiveness of procurement and supply chain staff across the sector
• Sustainability – The sustainability improvement programme helps councils to reach their local net zero and adaptation goals.
• Communications improvement support – This programme offers a wide range of support for member councils, including networks, events, resources, training and strategy development as well as reactive support like crisis communications and other ad-hoc assistance. The cornerstone of this offer is our one-day communications health checks and three-day communications reviews which are led by officer and member peers with relevant experience.
• Culture and sport – Our sport, physical activity and cultural services team offer a range of programmes and tools to help councils tackle the challenges and take advantage of the opportunities for culture, tourism and sport.

Read a full summary of support available through the LGA.

Local authorities interested in accessing any aspects of this support should contact the principal adviser for their region to find out more.