Cllr Jamieson's address to the LGA Annual Conference on 2 July 2019.
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It’s a great honour to be here today and to be following in those rather large footsteps of Gary, or Lord Porter, as he is officially known.
Gary has been a giant for local government for 18 years, dedicating his last four to being Chairman of the LGA.
His legacy speaks for itself. His work to ensure councils can build and provide safe homes is perhaps what will have the greatest impact on our communities.
He has made a tremendous personal commitment to building safety so a tragedy like Grenfell can never happen again.
And then there is his success in the abolition of the HRA Borrowing Cap so councils can now build homes again.
This is something we can all agree is so clearly to the benefit of all our residents, regardless of your council type or make up.
Gary has been a champion of cross-party working, getting results that benefit all our residents.
As he is fond of saying, it does not matter what colour your rosette, as long as we all come together and play for the local government team.
I truly believe that we are far more potent when we work together, that there is more that unites us than divides us, to deliver for our local communities. And at the end of the day, that is why we are here, to deliver for our communities, our residents.
I would also like to give some personal thanks. Gary may give that impression of a happy go lucky cockney lad made good. But behind it is a very sharp political brain. He has been immensely helpful in guiding me and others around Westminster politics – thank you.
I should also mention our ministerial team, particularly Secretary of State James Brokenshire. Welcome to our conference, James, and thank you for coming. Having worked with James for over a year already, it is clear that whilst we may not always agree, James does “get it”.
It is a very tumultuous time politically, and whatever happens in terms of the new Prime Minister and new Cabinet, we know we have a very strong advocate for Local Government in Whitehall and we thank him for his and his team’s contribution.
And thank you as well, to my friends and colleagues at the LGA, who I am looking forward to continuing to work with, to Nick, Howard and Marianne. And welcome to Izzi Seccombe, I hope you enjoy the Role of Group leader as much as I did.
I am deeply honoured that you have put your trust in me, and I commit to doing my utmost to work on your behalf for the benefit of our residents, which at the end of the day is why we are all here.
And through LGA support to councils, we will continue to work with you, as we prepare for the future by learning from each other, sharing best practice and, from time to time, challenging one another.
Our programme of peer reviews is supported across local government and in particular is valued by central government – it shows what can be achieved when we all work together.
The challenges facing councils are frankly unprecedented and under my chairmanship we will continue to be here for all of you.
While I have met many of you, and intend to meet many more, I thought I should introduce myself, for those who do not yet know me.
I became a Councillor in Central Bedfordshire in 2009, and have been privileged to have been leader since 2011.
I, like all of us, got into local government because I wanted to do something for my local community. Frankly, I was a little irritated at some of the things I saw and thought we can do better. Though I have to confess like many outside the sector I was somewhat naïve of the many constraints we face.
I believe passionately in local government, that we have many, many good councillors and officers, who are all seeking to do the best for their communities. One of the key roles of the LGA is to campaign on your behalf to remove some of those constraints I mentioned earlier.
I have, like all of you, seen first-hand the good that local government can do. Because who could be better at providing for their communities than the people who live and work in them?
We provide places where people can be safe and warm.
We help equip them with the skills they need.
We create vibrant economies.
We support the most vulnerable members of our communities
We collect the bins, maintain the parks, run the libraries, fix potholes and shape our communities.
And we have continued to do all this during one of the most challenging times for councils.
In the last decade councils have lost 60 pence out of every £1 of central government funding. Meanwhile over this period:
- the number of new child protection investigations has doubled;
- there has been a 56 per cent rise in homelessness;
- over-85s have increased 31 per cent; and
- we are expected to deliver 300,000 new homes annually;
Our latest research, released today, shows that one-third of councils fear they will run out of money for statutory services by the end of this Parliament.
Assuming it lasts to 2022.
But still councils up and down the country continue to do their best to deliver day after day for our residents.
And this rightly makes me and everyone here in this room proud to be part of local government.
And I am proud to be representing all of you who do so such a fantastic job.
My commitment as Chairman of the LGA is to make sure we continue to be right there beside you, supporting the brilliant work you do.
Because we all know that Councils Can and Want to do more in the years ahead.
Only councils, I will say again, only councils have the local knowledge and expertise to understand the needs, the opportunities, and the ambitions of their areas.
Only councils deliver results that build great communities.
In children’s services, public health and housing, despite the challenges, councils have improved outcomes for residents.
You have pioneered locally run waste partnerships that now mean that just 12.5 per cent of local authority waste is sent to landfill.
Nearly nine in ten councils have transformed one or more services using digital and data solutions.
And, you’ve delivered quality schools for the next generation with 89 per cent of maintained schools rated as either good or outstanding.
Put bluntly, council-maintained schools receive better Ofsted ratings than academies.
And in the vital area of adult social care, councils continue to deliver despite underfunding and demand pressures.
The latest figures on the average number of Delayed Transfers of Care days attributed to social care has fallen.
We are now nearly three times better than the NHS.
But councils could do much more if only the powers and funding are devolved to them.
To this end, today we are launching our Councils Can report, which sets out our key asks for the coming year.
And I encourage you to pick up your copy when you leave the hall.
It is a call to arms aimed at delivering the very best for local government.
Because no national government can do without us.
With Whitehall absorbed with Brexit, councils should be given the responsibility and funding to address long-standing challenges and maximising opportunities.
My key ask for the next government will be Give us the Powers, Freedoms, Flexibilities and Funding and we will deliver Great Communities.
We all agree that powers must be devolved beyond Whitehall, Cardiff Bay, Stormont and Holyrood and rest with local communities instead.
That is why we are setting out a bold, positive case for a New Localism Settlement, underpinned by a Devolution Bill in the next Queen’s Speech.
A Bill to reignite devolution and empower councils to deliver for their places.
Councils also need more freedoms and flexibilities on locally-raised taxes and fees.
Residents should be given the choice, if they want to pay more for extra services, why can’t they?
Importantly, this means abolishing the council tax referendum limit, and allowing you and your communities to choose.
Government should trust local residents and remember that councillors, like MPs, are accountable at the ballot box.
Research consistently shows residents trust local government significantly more than national politicians
But it is not just about being able to set council tax rates or deliver the services we need, it is also about being able to generate locally-driven economic growth.
So on business rates we want to see councils keep all of the income – not just the three-quarters planned from next year.
This control over our areas’ economic destinies will be a key part of our campaigning in the months ahead.
And speaking of taking back control, Brexit gives us the chance for more local democracy.
It is vital that powers are repatriated to the Town Hall not Whitehall.
Local government must have a greater say on things like State Aid, procurement processes and trading standards.
The UK Shared Prosperity Fund must come to local government.
And as we discuss what should replace the Common Agricultural Policy, rural communities must be a part of the conversation.
These measures will help reassure and prepare for our life outside the EU, helping revitalise our democracy.
While Brexit has featured prominently, some might say too prominently, over the last three years, there is much more that needs to be done.
The Government needs to ensure the Spending Review closes the enormous funding gap councils face.
Providing financial certainty and more investment will encourage innovation, and ultimately councils will be able to realise the full ambitions of the Care Act, providing tailored care into the future.
It is imperative that the Government’s own Social Care Green Paper is not only published but that they work with us on it.
We’ve already put forward our own proposals, The Lives We Want To Lead. The Government should adopt these recommendations.
On Public Health, it is great that local government is retaining this responsibility and I commend central government for this.
It shows that our case is being heard at the very highest levels in Whitehall.
But the story does not end here.
We need more control of health integration, prevention and mental health strategies.
Because it is vital that we continue to protect elderly and vulnerable people and give them the care they need to live their best lives.
It is a measure of a good society, how well it treats its most vulnerable.
We are also calling on the Government to close the growing funding gap for children’s services, reverse cuts to early intervention and review funding for those with special educational needs.
We want to see local government playing a central role in supporting all children and young people.
Take the Regional School’s Commissioner, they do not have the capacity or local knowledge for dealing with failing academies as well as council run schools.
So why not help them and give councils back the power, along with parents and governors, to provide oversight and accountability in our schools.
Local economies need decisions to be made at the local level, by councillors who know their areas.
We stand ready to work with Government to empower councils to create the conditions for long term, sustainable economic growth, and be the place-makers our local areas need.
We will lobby with you to ensure you have the support you need, based on local requirements and led by local councillors and mayors, but not obligatory Mayors!
Because building a community takes collaboration, a vision and the knowledge and oversight that only local residents and local councils have.
But it also requires empowerment, something that councils are lacking at the moment.
Councils must have proper powers over urban design, ensuring planning departments are fully-funded and have powers to decide and deliver on local needs.
Not be wasting their time dealing with speculative and hostile planning applications, time that could be better spent delivering great urban design and getting homes out of the ground.
To help you shape your areas, we are calling for you to have the ability to set your own planning fees and retain all of the money raised through Right to Buy sales.
Allied to this is the need for councils to have the confidence and certainty to develop and invest in an efficient transport network.
We need the money for new roads, footpaths and cycleways.
Meanwhile, there is a huge backlog of repairs to local roads that must be dealt with.
The safety of those roads and the quality of our air is vital to secure healthy communities.
More buses and more cycleways and footpaths will prevent people being isolated.
This will all help councils drive their own local growth and provide the opportunities their residents want.
But this will all be for nothing if this growth is not sustainable.
This morning at our General Assembly, the LGA took steps to ensure it recognises just how important the challenge we face on sustainability is.
It is essential that as a nation we tackle climate change and protect our natural environment.
As your Chairman, I will work with councils and central government as we help our communities to adapt to these challenges.
We need to continue to improve air quality, protect against flooding, and ensure our transport, waste and energy policies are environmentally sustainable.
Future generations will not thank us if we do not.
So, the next year will once again be crucial for us.
Working together – councils, their communities and central government – can achieve so much. I really do think the sky is the limit for local government.
Councils can, but will government allow us to?
With the Spending Review, we have an opportunity to work with Government to ensure councils are properly funded in the years ahead.
We have shown time and again that money invested by local government is well spent.
My message to the new Prime Minister and his government is – trust us to deliver, and give us certainty through the right funding and powers.
We have an opportunity for change, that the most centralised country in the Western World could become a bit more decentralised.
And working together is the way to achieve this, on a cross-party basis, no matter what type of council you happen to be, or where you happen to be located.
To build on Gary’s legacy and ensure that local government continues to sit at the heart of Government policy.
To provide our residents with the ability to make all their hopes and dreams come true.
This is the mission of the LGA, your LGA, the national voice of local government.
I look forward to being part of that voice as your Chairman in the year ahead.
And again, I would like to say thank you for your support.
Thank you.