In a lively session with Professor Colin Copus at our AGM in Birmingham earlier this month, members contributed key areas of concern or opportunity they wanted the group to be working on.
So what would we like to see from Government and from the LGA Independent Group?
Our group has taken a lead in a number of issues, notably respect for colleagues, equality of opportunity, fair voting and making sure that housing and infrastructure matches the needs of our communities. Other issues raised were connected to our member support and to national issues.
Member support
Next year is a big election year for most of our members, except for Wales and the London boroughs. The LGA Independent Group has funding for the “Be a Councillor” campaign. If you would like to gather a group of members and prospective members to encourage and inform, then we can help. Then it is about keeping them on board and supporting them through the elections. The Parties and the Independent Network will support you here. We also have the monthly information and development seminars at the LGA, two regional events in each of nine areas, and our main conferences in the first week of July, in the spring and on 23 November in the LGA.
Training
If you are interested in attending one of our places on the excellent Leadership Academy or the “Next Generation” training, which take place over three weekends in autumn, then please let us know. You may want to ask for a peer review for your council, a very useful exercise.
Issues
Issues raised will be taken through the LGA Boards and think tanks and our group will take ownership in separate press releases on issues where we are taking a key lead. For example, the post Brexit rural funding as discussed at the Conference.
A lot of comments focused on local services, as members see services centralising in a bid to reduce costs. Neighbourhood and rural policing seems to be reaching the point where the thin blue line is so thin as to be hardly existent at all. At the same time, non-statutory services such as keeping bus services, economic development and children’s centres are falling with a long-term cost. Loss of A&E services will mean a harder job for the already stretched ambulance services and longer waits for emergency support. The move to online services from rate-paying town centres remains a problem when we come to rely on business rates for essential income.
Also discussed was the call for a better electoral voting system, to keep single-member wards, funding, Brexit, housing and planning.
Information and Development Seminar
Thank you to those who came along to the session on police and the powers of councils. It was great to meet some new faces and see some familiar ones. The speakers were excellent and there was a great discussion. The next session will be Friday 14 September 2018 and the subject matter will be “Campaigning and Success at Elections”. Please let us know if you can attend.
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