Reading Council chief executive, Michael Coughlin, has been named as one of the new directors at the Local Government Association, replacing former IDeA chief Rob Whiteman.

In addition to taking on the former IDeA role, Mr Coughlin's new post will also encompass some of the work of the Employers' Organisation and the Leadership Centre for Local Government. Mr Coughlin joined Reading as chief executive in 2008 from the same post at Crawley.