Outside body

South East England Councils (SEEC) was established in April 2009 to represent the views of local authorities in the South East.  The vast majority of the 74 councils across the South East are members.

SEEC is chaired by Cllr Gordon Keymer CBE (Conservative, Leader of Tandridge District Council). Cllr David Hodge (Conservative, Surrey County Council) is Deputy Chairman. SEEC’s Secretary & Treasurer is Cllr Nicolas Heslop (Conservative, Tonbridge & Malling Borough Council). Cllr Keith House (Liberal Democrat, Eastleigh Borough Council) and Cllr Tony Page (Labour, Reading Borough Council) are Vice Chairmen.

Each member local authority nominates a senior councillor to represent its interests on SEEC. SEEC has a wide remit, which includes effective representation of local authority interests on issues affecting South East councils. SEEC works to four principles: To strive for a fair funding deal for the South East; Promote the South East’s position as a leading global economy; Act as a single democratic voice for South East interests; and Monitor the pulse of the South East.  See here for more information about SEEC’s priorities.

In addition to its own work, SEEC hosts a specialist migration post that is fully funded by the Home Office to manage the South East Strategic Partnership for Migration (SESPM). This post incurs no costs for SEEC members but ensures member meetings receive regular updates on migration issues and data.  For more information on SESPM, see here.