22 August 2003
Stephen Lord has been appointed the new director of local government finance at the Association of London Government, it was announced this week.
Lord, who is currently the finance programme manager at the Local Government Association, has accepted the post a year after it fell vacant following the abrupt departure of the previous director, Stephen Fitzgerald. Lord will start his new job on September 8.
He told Public Finance he would scrutinise measures contained in the current Local Government Bill, such as Business Improvement Districts and business growth incentives, to ensure the capital's boroughs derive the maximum benefit.
'There are some very interesting possibilities and the London boroughs are in a very good position to take advantage of them,' he added.
Lord has many years experience in the field and his expertise in local government finance is widely acknowledged. He joined the LGA at its inception in 1997, and before that worked for the Association of District Councils.
He also worked for the ALG's predecessor body, the Association of London Authorities, the Local Government Information Unit, and the former public sector union Nalgo.
Sir Robin Wales, chair of the ALG, said he was delighted Lord was joining the organisation. He would bring with him 'a wealth of knowledge and experience'.
He added: 'A key priority will be to make a strong case for the capital so that it receives a fair amount of funding under the 2004 Spending Review to help tackle the high levels of deprivation and poverty in London.'
PFaug2003
