RICHARD COATES IS NEW CPON CHAIRMAN

Richard Coates has been elected the new Chairman of CPON.

He takes over from Richard Ashton, who stepped down from the role last week after five years.

Richard said, “It’s a great honour to follow on from Richard Ashton as chairman of CPON.  These are difficult times for everyone in local government, and Conservative political assistants, like other council officers, are having to work extra-hard to show to their councillors and the taxpayers that they deliver value for money.  My job is to do my best, through sharing ideas and best-practice, to help them show just what an important job we do.”

Richard is currently employed as the Political Assistant to the Gloucestershire County Council Conservative Group. He has been an integral member of CPON for over eight years, having acted as the network’s legal lead. In 2006, alongside representatives from the Labour and Liberal Democrat political officer networks, Richard successfully lobbied to have the 11-year-old political assistants’ pay cap lifted.

And in 2005, he was described as a ‘star’ by his then leader, Barry Dare, following his ‘massive influence’ on the Conservatives’ recapture of Gloucestershire County Council.