Congratulations to our Chairman
Councillor Teresa O’Neill OBE, Chairman of Local London and Leader of Bexley Council, has been nominated for a lifetime peerage in the House of Lords.
Councillor O’Neill who chairs Local London, a membership of nine east London boroughs that delivers programmes valued at around £85 million to improve the lives of people in the sub region, is the longest-serving Council leader in London.
She has served Bexley Council since 1998 and as Leader of the Council since May 2008, leading her party to four successive election victories.
This month Cllr O’Neill was also awarded the accolade of Council Leader of the Year at this year’s national Cllr Awards, recognising her strong stewardship of the Council over the past 14 years, her work on national and regional organisations, including Homes England, and her role in managing the London-wide response to Covid.
Councillor Teresa O’Neill OBE commented “Being a successful Council leader means working with your fellow Councillors, Council Officers, residents and our partners. It is a privilege to be able to serve the people of our borough and across London. I am pleased that we are making a difference and grateful for the recognition the award gives to me, to the whole team at Bexley – and to our borough.”
Sarah Murray, Director of Local London said “Teresa is a strong figurehead for local government and I am delighted that the work of our Chairman and Leader of Bexley, one of our nine member boroughs, is being recognised both with a lifetime peerage at the House of Lords and as Council Leader of the Year.”
Councillor O’Neill was awarded the Order of the British Empire (Officer) in the Queen’s Birthday Honours 2015 for service to the community and local government in London. She was awarded the Freedom of the City of London in April 2022 for her part in the London-wide strategic planning and response to Covid.
She is currently Vice Chair (Leader of the Conservative group) on London Councils, Deputy Chair of the Local Government Association, Board member of Thames Estuary Growth Board and a Board Member of Homes England.
About Local London
Local London is a sub-regional partnership of nine boroughs: Barking and Dagenham, Bexley, Bromley, Enfield, Greenwich, Havering, Newham, Redbridge and Waltham Forest.
Representing around 2.6 million residents and 100,000 businesses, we are a champion for this sub-region to ensure it responds to a set of mutual issues and challenges, and benefits from existing and emerging opportunities.
Find out more about Local London’s programmes, partnership and policy work.