Cllr Paul Harvey has been Leader of Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council since May 2023, leading a collective of councillors. He is determined that the new administration will listen to residents and give them confidence in the difference their council can make.

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.

Cllr Tod is the Leader of Winchester City Council. He also works as Chief Executive of the Men’s Health Forum, the centre of excellence for men’s health policy and practice.

In May 2012, he was elected as one of the three City Councillors for St Paul ward on Winchester City Council. He was re-elected to the position again in May 2016 and May 2019. In May 2013, he was elected as the Hampshire County Councillor for Winchester Westgate.

Previously he was the 2010 Parliamentary Candidate for the Liberal Democrats in Winchester. He was also Co-Chair of the Liberal Democrat Policy Working Group on Housing and one of the organisers of Lib Dems against the NHS Bill.

Before joining the Men’s Health Forum, he worked for Shelter in a range of roles, including Head of Corporate Fundraising, Head of Strategy Development and Deputy Director of Communications, Policy and Campaigns. Previously he was UK Head of Brand & Advertising for Vodafone and a Marketing Director for Procter and Gamble.

Councillor Lorna Fielker is the Leader of Southampton City Council, Cabinet Member for Health, Adults and Leisure and ward Councillor for Swaythling.

She has additional policy interests in community wealth building, housing and seeing public, private, and voluntary sectors cooperate to tackle inequalities.

Outside of politics, Cllr Fielker is a Postgraduate Researcher at the University of Southampton, where she is investigating the impact of the UK GDPR (2018) on voluntary organisations. She has a professional background working within social housing and voluntary settings.

Gareth has a deep understanding of UK politics and media and extensive experience in helping businesses leverage policy opportunities or minimize risks to operations and brand reputation.

He has over 20 years’ experience providing strategic counsel to multinational clients including Starbucks, Google, Infosys and Amex GBT. A specialist in Labour politics he is a veteran of numerous internal selection battles and election campaigns. Gareth is responsible for Government Relations and Corporate Communications work within Cavendish.