Beast of Bolsover's Daughter to Head Council Administration
Mandy Skinner set to be confirmed as Hounslow's chief executive
Mandy Skinner (right) has been leading the administration since last October. Picture: Hounslow Council.
July 15, 2025
The appointment of Mandy Skinner as Hounslow’s Chief Executive is set to be confirmed at the next full meeting of the council.
She has been effectively serving as the interim head of the administration since October following the resignation of Niall Bolger and her permanent appointment was recommended by a panel of four senior councillors, including one from the opposition, following a ‘robust’ recruitment process. This is expected to be rubber-stamped at the meeting on 22 July.
She is the daughter of Dennis Skinner, the firebrand Labour politician and former miner, who gained the nickname ‘The Beast of Bolsover’ in a political career which saw him suspended ten time for heckling in the House of Commons. There is no record of any political activism on the part of Ms Skinner.
The post was advertised at a salary in excess of £200,000 and the report recommending her appoint states that she will be paid within the agreed set range for a Hounslow chief executive.
A technical assessment of the appointment was conducted by a serving chief executive of a London borough and a representative of the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives. An External Partners Stakeholder Panel was also consulted.
Ms Skinner had previously been Assistant Chief Executive and Executive Director for Communities and Strategy at Hounslow since 2019. Prior to that she has held various senior positions across Local Government including the role of Assistant Chief Executive at the dual administration of Richmond and Wandsworth Councils for over three years as well as positions with Central Government, and the Local Government Association.
At Hounslow Council, she has been instrumental in leading various strategic initiatives, including the development of the council's Equality, Diversity, and Inclusion Strategy. She has also overseen the Corporate Performance Management function, working across the council to set and monitor the delivery of business and service planning cycles
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