Cllr Keith Cunliffe
Chair
Keith is a Member Peer at the Local Government Association providing peer review, mentoring, and workshops to a number of Local Authorities. He is also the National Chair of the Industrial Communities Alliance.
He was a Mental Health Nurse for 40 years and managed a number of Mental Health Services.
Cllr Russell Imrie
Senior Vice Chair
Russell Imrie has been a Labour elected member on Midlothian Council since 1995 and is currently Cabinet Spokesperson for Communities and Economy, Zero Waste and Strategic Transportation. Russell is also Chairperson of the Council’s Planning Committee.
He has a keen interest in economic development, environmental and sustainability issues. Russell was an engineer with British Telecom and an active trade unionist.
Cllr Martin Bond
Vice Chair
North West region
Martin Bond is an elected member for Haydock and Cabinet member for Finance and Governance at St Helens MBC. He is Chair of the NW Region. Haydock is one of the oldest pit villages in Britain and is proud of its mining heritage.
Martin comes from both mining and glass making stock, with family heritage in the Trade Union and Labour movement. One of his paternal Great Grandmothers was a Pit Brow Lass, Suffragette and member of the ILP.
He has been a Trade Union Branch Secretary for over 20 years and provides Employment Advice at Citizens Advice. He is a founding Trustee of the Workers Memorial in St Helens as well as being a Trustee of the Liverpool Irish Festival.
Cllr Robin Franklin
Vice Chair
Yorkshire & Humber region
I have been a local Barnsley Councillor in the Hoyland Milton Ward for 12 years.
I am also the Cabinet Support Member for Core Services.
I have been a local business man for 40 years and am also the Chairman of Milton Hall Group, Vice Chair of the Forge Community Partnership, Director of the Rockingham Centre and Director of Hoyland Community Action Group.
Cllr Steve Manion
Honorary Treasurer, Vice Chair
Midlands and Sothern region
Mr Stephen Charles Manion was elected to the County Council in June 2009 as the Member for Dover North. He is a consultant in Operations and Resource Management. He is a fellow of both the American Production and Inventory Management Society and of the Chartered Institute of Logistics and transport in the UK. He runs his own business providing courses in supply chain management.
He completed Post Graduate Research in Wheat Quality at Charles Sturt University and Airlines at Hornsby TAFE. Previous to this he served in 3rd Battalion of the Royal New South Wales Regiment (3 RNSWR – Reserve light infantry battalion of the Australian Army) for five years and was awarded the Australian Defence Medal for his military servicemen has served as a member of The Kent & Medway Towns Fire & Rescue Authority since 2013.
Mr Manion has served as a District Councillor since 2003, and is the member of Dover District Council for Eastry Ward covering the Parishes of Eastry, Northbourne, Sutton, Tilmanstone and Great Mongeham. He has served as the Vice-Chairman of the Council. He is Dover District Council’s and Kent County Councils representative on The Industrial Communities Alliance (the Coalfield Communities Campaign) and is also the Chairman for the Midlands and South region as well as the honorary treasurer of the National Executive Committee and has served on the Liaison Committee of the National Coal Mining Museum in Wakefield.
Cllr Brian Gallache
Vice Chair
North East region
For the past 17 years, I have served as a Labour Councillor for the Haydon Ward Ashington, in district, Local and County Council’s of Northumberland.
I was employed in the Coal Industry for 27 years working firstly on surface and then underground as a miner at Ellington Colliery, Northumberland – “The last North East deep coal mine to close in 2005.”
In Northumberland County Council, my elected roles are :
- Member of the Shadow Cabinet for community and local services.
- Chair of planning.
- A member licencing committee.
- A member of the Community and Place Scrutiny Committee.
Cllr Gareth Jones
Vice Chair
Chair, Alliance Wales
Aberdare West / Llwydcoed – Rhondda Cynon Taff
Cllr Altany Craik
Chair, Alliance Scotland
Convener – Economy, Tourism. Strategic Planning & Transportation Committee
Cllr for Ward: Glenrothes West and Kinglassie – Fife Council