Kirklees Green Party councillor, Andrew Cooper, has been elected as the Deputy Leader of the Local Government Association (LGA) Independent Group.
The group consists of all independent and Green Party councillors in England and Wales. It has 3370 members of which over 850 are green councillors and represents the views of independents and greens in local government, giving them a voice at a national level.
As LGA Independent Group Deputy Leader, Cllr Cooper is elected for two years and has a position on the Local Government Association Board.
He said: “It is a real honour to be asked to represent the views of over 3000 councillors to national government and to help shape the policies of local government across the country. Independent and green councillors share a strong connection with the communities we represent and an aversion to party whips and being controlled by party bosses.
“As part of the LGA Independent Group leadership I will represent the views of the group within the LGA, to central government, to our membership and to the general public.
“We are living in difficult times where funding for local services is under increasing pressure due to underfunding, inflationary pressures and increasing demands for services due to an aging population. It is really important that the government hears a clear voice that not only identifies problems but also shows the government how we can achieve solutions that give the people in the communities we represent better services.”
