Bradford councillor Margaret Eaton has claimed another first after she was confirmed yesterday as the new chairman of the influential Local Government Association.

Coun Eaton (Con, Bingley Rural) made history in 2000 when she became the first female leader of Bradford Council.

In 2005 she became the first woman to take the helm at the Conservative Councillors’ Association. Now she has made it a treble as the first female chairman of the LGA, the cross-party organisation which represents councils in England and Wales.

She was nominated after a ballot of Tory councillors who constitute the largest group on the LGA. She received 53 per cent of votes to become chairman, seeing off four male contenders.

“The position of chairman of the Local Government Association is an important and exciting role,” she said.

“There is an excellent platform to take the LGA on to ever greater heights and I am relishing this challenge.

“The LGA is the national voice for local government and I am committed to ensuring that we can help every council across the country to be free from central control and financed to deliver the best services for local people at the right cost to the taxpayer.

“I am determined to ensure that member councils are listened to by the LGA, and I will continue to campaign on the issue of localism, that local democracy is at the heart of localism and making sure that parties from across the political spectrum understand that localism is about us in local government having the tools available to us to deliver our vision to our residents.”

She confirmed it would be business as usual with regard to her work as ward councillor for Bingley Rural.

Coun Eaton was first elected to Bradford Council in 1986. She began her political career as a party member in 1970 and became leader of the Conservative group in 1995. She was leader of the authority for six years. She was awarded an OBE for services to local government in 2003.

She takes up the position vacated earlier this month by Sir Simon Milton.

Chief executive of the LGA, Paul Coen, said: “Margaret has vast experience and a proven track record as a leader and this will benefit the LGA and the sector in our dealings with government and our desire to help councils, whatever political party, to become even better.”

Shadow secretary of state for local government, Eric Pickles, himself a former leader of Bradford Council, said: “Margaret is an old friend from my Bradford City Council days, and she brings considerable experience of local government.”