North Northamptonshire Leader appointed Vice-Chair of national council network

02 October 2026

The Leader of North Northamptonshire Council, Cllr Martin Griffiths, has been appointed as a Vice-Chair of the County Councils Network (CCN), the national organisation representing England's county and larger unitary councils.

The appointment was confirmed at the CCN Annual General Meeting, where councillors from across England's county and rural unitary authorities came together to establish the organisation's political leadership team for the year ahead.

Although North Northamptonshire Council is a unitary authority rather than a traditional county council, it is a member of the CCN, which represents the interests of upper-tier local authorities responsible for delivering major public services including adult social care, children’s services, highways, waste disposal and economic development.

The CCN is recognised as a leading voice for councils providing these large-scale services and works closely with government on issues including local government finance, devolution, economic growth and public service reform.

Cllr Griffiths joins a cross-party team of six vice-chairs supporting newly appointed CCN Chair, Cllr Sean Matthews. The appointments reflect the organisation's longstanding commitment to ensuring councils from different political backgrounds work together on the issues affecting communities across England.

As a Vice-Chair, Cllr Griffiths will help shape the network's national advocacy work and support discussions with government on key issues affecting local authorities and residents.

I am delighted to have been appointed as a Vice-Chair of the County Councils Network and to represent North Northamptonshire at a national level.

Local government is facing significant challenges and opportunities, particularly around devolution, local government reorganisation, public service reform and delivering high-quality services in a financially sustainable way.

This role provides an excellent opportunity to ensure the voice of North Northamptonshire, and councils like ours, is heard in national discussions. I look forward to working with colleagues from across the political spectrum to champion the interests of residents and help shape the future of local government.Cllr Martin Griffiths, Leader of North Northamptonshire Council.

The CCN’s Executive Committee provides leadership on the network’s research and policy work covering local government finance, housing, economic growth, adult social care, children’s services, education and special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), alongside environmental and waste management issues.

During the AGM, council leaders and members were joined by Local Government Minister Jim McMahon to discuss local government reorganisation, devolution, funding and economic growth.

North Northamptonshire Council’s involvement in the network helps ensure local perspectives contribute to national conversations that influence how key public services are funded and delivered.