Unison #10billionbailout campaign
We’d urge all Labour councilors to get behind Unison’s #10billionbailout campaign, which is calling on the government to fix the current funding shortfall, which is estimated to be £10bn. Unison have warned that unless the funding shortfall is fixed, there could be tens of thousands of job losses and catastrophic cuts to local services. If cuts were to be applied equally across all services, it would mean £1.9bn slashed from children’s social care spending, £1.1bn from environmental services and £3.5bn from adult social care –an area already in crisis before the coronavirus outbreak. You can read the press release about the campaign here, and you can sign the petition here.
Next Generation Programme 2020/21
The application process is open for the Next Generation Programme 2020-21. The programme offers ambitious and talented councillors an unparalleled political development opportunity, uniquely developed within party political traditions and with party political experts. Next Generation aims to support and encourage councillors to be bold and confident political leaders, progress in your political career and be champions of local government.
To apply to be part of the Next Generation you will need to have been a councillor for at least one year as well as be a Group Leader, Portfolio Holder, Service Committee Chair, Portfolio Shadow, or Chair of Scrutiny – or your Group Leader agrees that you are likely to be so within a year. There is a competitive application process, which closes on Friday 24 July 2020. You will need sign off from your Group Leader to apply. The programme will run over the weekends of 4/6 December (London), 15/17 January (Warwick), 26/27 February (Manchester). Participants must attend all of the three weekends. These dates include the Friday as pre-night accommodation, the Programme content is on the Saturday and Sunday.
There is no cost to attend the programme, all meals and accommodation will be provided including pre-night accommodation where required. However attendees must cover their own travel costs. If you would like further information about the programme, please email martin.angus@local.gov.uk
To apply please complete the on-line application process.
Coronavirus news from Labour councils
Sir Peter Soulsby, Mayor of Leicester, has written to the Secretary of State for Health, hitting back at accusations that Leicester did not deal with the coronavirus outbreak quickly enough, and calling on the government to provide better data on outbreaks to councils
Brent Council have launched a resident’s survey to check in with residents, find out how coronavirus is affecting them and to find out their current and anticipated future needs.
Newcastle City Council has launched a Citylife line for SMEs, designed to give free support to SMEs as we enter the recovery phase of the pandemic
Stroud District Council has launched a “Shop Local” campaign to encourage residents to use and support local high streets.
Next Thursday Salford Council will be the subject of a fly on the wall documentary for BBC’s Panorama, as the council leads efforts to lift the lockdown
Durham County Council has reaffirmed its commitment to tackling climate change during an international summit on the environment.
Redcar & Cleveland councillor Christopher Massey has written for LabourList about why Momentum’s new leadership is wrong to attack Labour councils
Manchester City Council’s Public Health boss is encouraging Mancunians to keep a “socializing journal” to help the NHS Test & Trace programme
We will continue to use this bulletin to highlight the great work that Labour councils, groups, and councillors are doing all over the country in relation to COVID-19 – so if you want your local work included, please send it through to martha.lauchlan@local.gov.uk
Campaign advice and guidance from the Labour Party
The Labour Party has issued advice which means that leafletting in England and Wales can now resumed. The full guidance for English CLPs can be found here, and if you are in Wales, guidance for Welsh CLPs can be found here.
Key principles of the advice are:
- If you are delivering leaflets for other members, leave the leaflets outside your home for collection, or leave them on the member’s doorstep for collection;
- If you are leafletting in groups, stay 2 metres apart at all times;
- If someone stops to talk to you whilst you are leafleting then please keep at least 2 metres apart from them;
- Wash your hands thoroughly before going out leafletting, and wash them thoroughly when you come back in. Please also consider taking hand sanitizer with you or wearing gloves;
- Where possible wear a mask and gloves to reassure members of the public.
Under no circumstances can doorknocking or street stalls resume.
Re-Thinking Local: A Vision For The Future - Keir Starmer MP
We were delighted that Labour Leader Keir Starmer spoke to the virtual LGA Conference. The webinar was chaired by Nick Forbes and following his speech Keir took questions from participants.
If you weren’t able to see it on the day you can read Keir’s speech and watch the webinar here.
Labour Local Government and Trade Union Principles 2020
At the LGA Labour AGM, members voted to agree our ‘Labour Local Government and Trade Union Principles 2020’ and, alongside the adoption of the Principles, the LGA Labour Group also agreed a set of Joint Priorities for 2020/21 which set out the key issues which we intend to work on together over the coming year.
News from Labour
Thangam Debbonaire on homeless coronavirus deaths statistics
Thangam Debbonaire – Revealed: Sunak’s secret £1bn giveaway to second home owners and landlords
Families will be able to visit care homes again – Liz Kendall
Anneliese Dodds – this is Government’s last chance to stem job losses
Anneliese Dodds responds to Government’s “Plan for Jobs”
“Lost generation of teenagers” – Cat Smith responds
Ed Miliband responds to the Government green jobs investment announcement
Liz Kendall responds to Prime Minister’s comments on care home deaths
Long-term underfunding left nurseries on brink of collapse – Tulip Siddiq
Labour for the North election survey
Labour for the North, which is a group of MPs from the North East, North West and Yorkshire and Humber, is carrying out a review in the 2019 General Election, focusing on the long-term factors affecting Labour’s election result.
If you are a councillor in any of these regions, there is a survey for you to fill in to share your thoughts and insights.
Underrepresentation of BAME councillors
A report was released this week looking at the representation of BAME councillors. The report found that only 7 per cent of councillors in the UK are from a black, Asian or ethnic minority background, whereas 14 per cent of the UK population are BAME. 5 per cent of local councillors are Asian whereas they make up 7 per cent of the UK population, and only 1 per cent of councillors are black despite making up 3 per cent of the overall population.
Sky News has produced some graphics highlighting the findings in the report, including councils with no BAME representation, and where the BAME population is under or over-represented compared to the local area. You can read the story here.
COVID-19 and the impact on women councillors
The Centenary Action Group is carrying out two surveys to find out the impact on women councillors and women’s participation in politics. The first survey, which can be found here, is for women councillors to fill in, and focuses on how Covid has affected you. The second survey, which can be found here, is for women who are involved in politics but who are not yet councillors, and how the pandemic has affected them.
Labour’s National Policy Forum consultations – DEADLINE EXTENDED
The deadline for responding to Labour’s National Policy Forum consultation documents has been extended to Monday 20 July. We would strongly encourage Labour Groups to make submissions to the different policy consultations to ensure that local government has a strong voice in the Labour Party’s policy making process.
The full list of open consultations can be found here. Suggested topics for the different consultations are as follows:
The LGA Labour Group will be responding to these consultations, and we will share our responses on our website once they are published. If you want to share the response that your Labour Group is doing then please email Hannah.lazell@local.gov.uk
Coronavirus news from the LGA
LGA responds to latest Test and Trace figures
LGA responds to AA analysis of parking income
Coronavirus: gyms and leisure centres to reopen – LGA statement
LGA responds to Public Accounts Committee report on future PPE supply
Coronavirus: recovery and renewal panel launched for councils
Summer economic update: LGA response
LGA responds to Children’s Commissioner report on lost generation of teenagers
Coronavirus: LGA responds to CfBT report on COVID-19 recovery
LGA responds to latest ONS figures on coronavirus deaths
LGA responds to the latest smoking habits figures
LGA responds to the Government’s arts funding announcement
The local leadership offer: Testing, Contact Tracing and Local Outbreak Planning
The LGA has developed a checklist to support councils identify readiness to respond to a local outbreak. This is supplemented by the offer of free remote peer support to help facilitate these conversations locally. The checklist is available here.
LGA ‘Frequently Asked Questions’ resource for councillors
The LGA has set up a page to answer Frequently Asked Questions related to COVID-19, covering children and young people, housing, PPE, and supporting local communities, which you can view here.
These responses are being regularly reviewed and updated following clarification from the government.
Future Bulletins
If there are issues you think we should try to include in future Bulletins then please let us know – just reply to this email.
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