Baker hails response of local authorities to COVID-19 after becoming President of Lawyers in Local Government at first virtual AGM

Quentin Baker has been appointed President of Lawyers in Local Government (LLG) following the organisation’s first ever virtual annual general meeting.

Chief Legal Officer at Hertfordshire County Council, Baker takes over from Phillip Horsfield, Deputy Director: Corporate Governance and Monitoring Officer for Rutland County Council.

In his acceptance speech Baker hailed how local authorities had transformed the way they work in recent weeks.

Quentin Baker reduced size from LLGHe said: “It is also important to acknowledge that local authorities, you and your colleagues, are at the heart of the response to the pandemic, on the front line of the country's defence of its citizens against this unknown and deadly virus.

“Local authorities have demonstrated once again their seemingly limitless ability to rise to a challenge.”

Baker said that it was at times like these that the value of collaboration across the sector through organisations like LLG “really comes to the fore”.

He added that during his presidency he would be continuing to support the important campaigns LLG is leading. He will post his proposed objectives on the LLG website in the next few days.

He also paid tribute to the to the work of the LLG team. “There is a huge amount of work which goes on behind the scenes at LLG in lobbying, researching, hosting discussions and workshops and producing advice and guidance for LLG members in readily digestible chunks…..which is a real help when you have little if any time left in the day.

“LLG is an organisation which has as its core purpose the mutual support and assistance of its members and all of our activity is guided by that purpose. It relies upon the involvement of its members and I would encourage all of you to become more involved.”

The full list of board directors at LLG is now as follows:

  • President - Quentin Baker
  • Vice President - Helen Edwards
  • Deputy Vice President - Rachel McKoy
  • Immediate Past President - Phillip Horsfield
  • Treasurer - Nigel Snape
  • Branch Directors - Stephen Taylor and Stephen Turner
  • National Lead Directors - Helen Lynch and Chucks Golding
  • Junior Director - Shamsher Zada
  • Executive Director - Deborah Evans

Paige Ferris-Bedward has meanwhile appointed as Junior National Lead.