Jim McMahon OBE is the Labour and Co-operative MP for Oldham West, Chadderton & Royton and has been serving these communities continuously since 2015. He is also the chair of the Co-operative Party.

In July 2024, Jim became the Minister of State for Housing, Communities, and Local Government. He previously fulfilled the position of Shadow Minister for Local Government & English Devolution. Jim has an extensive background in local government, with his past experience as a Cllr and Leader of Oldham Council. He is committed to championing the work of Councillors and Mayors, making the case for further devolution, and empowering local communities.

Bev became Leader of Manchester City Council on 1^st December 2021.

First elected in 2011 as a Burnage Councillor, she held a range of responsibilities on Manchester City Council including as Executive Member for Adult Social Care and Health and Deputy Leader.

Since becoming Leader, she has overseen Manchester’s ambitious plans to build a more inclusive and sustainable economy, increasing investment into neighbourhoods across the city, better outcomes for children and young people, tackling inequalities, building more housing and working to meet Manchester’s net zero ambitions.

Bev is a Vice-Chair of the Local Government Association and Leader of the association’s Labour Group, which represents and supports Labour Groups in England and Wales and the Labour councillors within them. In Greater Manchester she holds a range of responsibilities on behalf of the city as a Vice Chair, including leading on the Economy, Business, and International Portfolio for the Combined Authority. She was formerly Chair of Core Cities UK, the network representing the UK’s largest cities outside London.

Originally from Belfast, she moved to Manchester in 2003 for university. After graduating from the University of Manchester she began her career in Local Government, before working in higher education and then a national trade union leading on social care. She holds postgraduate degrees from Warwick Business School and the University of Manchester. Outside of politics she enjoys sports and being outdoors, music, culture and enjoying all that Manchester has to offer.

Kate is Assistant General Secretary of the TUC. Kate works with external stakeholders on behalf of the TUC and is responsible for inter-union relations. She also leads on internal TUC matters.

Ben is a life-long advocate for inclusive growth that delivers at a national, regional and local level. He has led impactful programmes of work on the importance of health, adult education and childcare in relation to creating fairer models of growth for people and places. He is widely published and has advised national politicians and local leaders on the links between growth, inequality and public services. Ben was previously Assistant Director at the International Longevity Centre and undertook economic analysis for the Financial Conduct Authority and HM Treasury.

Tom was a former editor of Prospect and chief leader writer at The Guardian, He is now a regular contributing editor at Prospect. His latest book, Broke, about Britain’s poverty crisis—has recently been published.

Tom has worked at the Institute for Fiscal Studies, the Joseph Rowntree Foundation and most recently the Resolution Foundation, where he held the pen on their flagship Ending Stagnation report. He spent 8 years as a Visiting Fellow at Nuffield College, Oxford and sits on the Board of Political Quarterly. Tom’s long experience working with data and surveys, included running the Guardian’s opinion polling. He has fronted podcasts for over a decade, including the Guardian’s Politics Weekly.