Councillor Lorna Fielker is the Leader of Southampton City Council, Labour Councillor for Swaythling Ward.

Cllr Fielker’s ambition is that by working in partnership with the public and private sectors and our communities, Southampton realises it’s potential as a city of opportunity.

Cllr Fielker was elected in 2018 and has had Cabinet Member responsibility for adult social care, public health, housing, leisure and education prior to becoming Leader.

Outside of politics, Cllr Fielker is a Postgraduate Researcher at the University of Southampton investigating the impact of the GDPR on voluntary organisations.

She has a professional background working in hospitality, local government, social housing and the voluntary sector.

Donna Jones was elected as Police and Crime Commissioner for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight in 2021, achieving 312,993 of the votes cast across the two counties. Hampshire & Isle of Wight Constabulary is one of the largest police force areas in the country. In 2024, Donna was re-elected as Police and Crime Commissioner with a 70,000 majority.

Donna was the youngest member of the judiciary in England and Wales when she was appointed to the South East Hampshire (Magistrates) Bench in October 2005. She served as a bench chair for 16 years until she was elected as Police and Crime Commissioner. This has helped her develop a strong background in criminal justice.

From 2014-2018 Donna was the first woman to be elected the Leader of Portsmouth City council in Hampshire, presiding over a £780million budget. During this time she received national recognition for the commercial approach she brought to the running of the city council, generating millions of pounds of income each year. She has a thorough understanding of managing public sector finances; of generating new income and removing wastage from outdated contracts ensuring your taxes are spent wisely.

As well as being the PCC for Hampshire and the Isle of Wight, Donna previously led on the national Victims and Serious Organised Crime portfolios for the Association of Police and Crime Commissioners, before taking up the role of the Chair in July 2023. She now leads on the national Criminal Justice agenda.

Donna is also a non-executive director on the board of the Hampshire Chamber of Commerce, helping to shape the Chamber’s strategic growth as the county’s independent voice of businesses.

Millie Earl is a local government politician with 15 years’ experience in political, social and environmental campaigning. She was elected to BCP Council in 2019 and, in 2024, became Leader of the Council having served as Deputy Leader for a year prior.

Under Millie’s Leadership, and despite the challenging environment for local authorities, the council has been recognised for its sustainable financial position, strengthened governance, major improvement in its Children’s Services and its innovation and investment in apprenticeships and skills.

Having been born and lived most of her life in the ward she represents, Millie found herself interested in politics through seeing and experiencing social problems and inequality in her own community, particularly in access to education, housing, and public services.

Before being appointed into a leadership role in the council, she built a successful career in marketing and campaign management in the private sector and with charities. Alongside her work, Millie founded a number of local projects to address key problems in her own community.

In her role as Leader of BCP Council, Millie takes a strategic approach to making the Bournemouth, Christchurch & Poole area a great place to live, work and invest, and her key goal is unlocking the full potential of the three towns through place-based regeneration, cross-sector collaboration and sustainable growth.

Millie leads the ‘Three Towns Alliance’ which, over the last 18 months in administration, has: stabilised the council’s finances and restored good governance as evidenced by the removal of a ‘Best Value Notice’ from government; transformed Children’s Services from ‘inadequate’ to ‘good’ (one of only a handful to make this leap in progress); effectively eradicated the use of B&Bs for families experiencing homelessness; submitted a new and ambitious Local Plan to examination and; won awards for innovation in apprenticeships, community partnerships, leisure services, cultural events and tourism.

Cllr Paul Harvey has been Leader of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council since May 2023, leading a collective of councillors.

His specific Cabinet responsibilities, as portfolio holder, include economic development and inward investment. He has had a long-term interest in economic development during his two decades at the council. He believes that the small business community is the bedrock of the borough’s economy and large companies are a critical part of its success but that its future also rests on incubating, innovating and unlocking entrepreneurial talent.

The Cabinet is focusing on a thriving economy for the borough and it being a place that has jobs, skills, opportunities, infrastructure and services that its communities need, and Paul is keen to bring a university to the borough.

Paul previously served as Leader for the 2005 to 2006 council year, before that as a Cabinet member, responsible for economic development, between September 2002 and 2005.

Regional and national bodies that Paul sits on include the executive of the District Councils’ Network, Hampshire and Isle of Wight Local Government Association and the Executive of South East England Councils.

Paul is deeply involved in his local community being a school governor and trustee of a community centre, both roles he has held for over decade.

Paul holds a doctorate in International Politics and is an Associate Lecturer for the Open University. Specialising in strategic affairs and defence, he has previously taught at King’s College London, with the Joint Services Command Staff College and Defence Academy, also with the University of Reading and Queen Mary’s College, Basingstoke.