Ed Whiting
Chief Executive, Leeds City CouncilEd has been Leeds City Council’s Chief Executive since January 2025, having grown up
in the city. Ed has spent most of his career in the Civil Service, including in the Financial
Stability Unit of HM Treasury through the 2008-09 financial crisis; as Deputy Principal
Private Secretary to the Prime Minister between 2014 and 2016; and Director for Cities
and Local Growth 2023-2024, leading a joint unit focussed on local economic growth,
shared between the Business and Communities Departments. Between 2016 and 2022,
Ed was Director of Strategy at the Wellcome Trust, where he led the creation of a new
strategy to solve the urgent health challenges of infectious disease, mental health and
the impact of climate change on health.
My Speaker Sessions
Friday 27 November 2026
Rewiring the state: What it means for local government
Rewiring the State promises a major transfer of powers, resources and functions from central government to elected mayors and local authorities before 2029. It puts strategic authorities at the centre of delivering the Government's priorities, from good growth and council housebuilding to technical education and prevention. Many are still building the capacity to do it.
This session discusses what delivery looks like in practice. Where will new powers and funding make most difference? What capacity and skills will be needed? How will they work with constituent councils, No10 North and Whitehall to turn priorities into results.
