Greetings!
D-day 80
This week was particularly poignant as we paid tribute to our brave soldiers who paid the ultimate sacrifice during the D-day landings in 1944. It has been 80 years since this history-making event and is the most likely the last opportunity the soldiers who took part in the operation will attend such an event. We will remember them!
General Election 2024
This week saw the high-profile parties publish their manifestos with promises to the electorate on the economy, environment, education, crime and foreign policy. Grant Shapps MP has already conceded the Conservatives will lose with Labour possibly getting a ‘supermajority’, which is bad for democracy and decision making. Both Plaid Cymru and the Greens have published their manifestos, Independents will tailor their own manifestos for the seats they are standing in. However, one thing we as Independents have in common is that we are free of party ideology and able to think for ourselves! Please do get in touch with your party or the Independent Network if you would like further help and support with any aspect of your campaign.
Standing as a candidate
We have a staggering number of candidates from our group, more than ever before! Five hundred and twenty Independents, including 27 Yorkshire Independents, Green party candidates in every seat, UK reform and more. Thank you to everyone for getting in touch with the office and letting us know if you are standing. If you have not already done so, please get in contact as soon as possible so we can keep our records up-to-date and know where support is needed. The Democracy Club has published candidates, polling stations and maps, which you may find useful. The LGA White Paper is the cross-party call for better local services which makes a useful resource for you in interviews.
Be a Councillor Programme 2024-25
We held an information session last Friday promoting our flagship ‘Be a Councillor’ programme, aimed at attracting individuals interested in standing for public office. Once again, the LGA Independent Group has been allocated funds from the Government to promote the initiative. I am very grateful to our lead member peers who will be supporting the Group office in promoting the campaign within their regions, alongside some of our larger support networks. We know abuse and intimidation can play a factor in not running for election, but this programme will reassure individuals that support is available and becoming a councillor is one of the best jobs you’ll ever do!
Launch of the Local Government White Paper
This week saw the official launch of our local government white paper, which I encourage you to read and sets out the demands from local government to national government for a better relationship through our five main priorities to drive change.
These include:
- An equal, respectful partnership between local and national government
- Sufficient and sustainable funding
- Backing local government as place leaders
- A new focus on prevention and services for the wider community
- Innovation and freedom from bureaucracy
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The paper also reveals a funding gap of a hefty £6.2 billion faced by councils in England over the next two years and calls on all parties to commit to ‘significantly increased funding in the next Spending Review. We need multi-year funding settlements and reform of the local government finance system’. Already 51 per cent of councils have warned they are likely to issue a section 114 notice in the next five years, and 9 per cent have said they are likely to issue one within the next financial year according to the Local Government Information Unit. The LGA continues to warn as well of the record amounts councils are spending on temporary accommodation from their core budgets.
Please do take a read of this detailed and informative document which will inform and hopefully influence, the next government about what is most needed from our local authorities.
LGA General Assembly
As you already know with the General Election being called, the LGA Annual Conference has been postponed. We will confirm a new date as soon as possible. The shorter version of the LGA Annual Assembly will still be taking place online from 11.45am on Tuesday 2 July. The agenda for the meeting will be available two weeks before the meeting. All member authorities will now have been invited to appoint their representatives to the General Assembly for 2024/25.
A new date has now been confirmed for new councillors, Tuesday 16 July from 5.00pm to 7.00pm online. If you are a new councillor, please attend this information session which will introduce you to the LGA and the ongoing support it can give you. The Independent Group will be holding its own session immediately afterwards for new Independent, Green and Plaid Cymru Councillors to meet and network online.
There is a dedicated page on our LGA website ‘Councillors Hub’ which hosts a range of useful resources to help you in your role and also various training sessions covering every aspect of being a local Councillor.
And finally, we will be announcing dates for our very popular “Next Generation” leadership course shortly opening up applications, running over three weekends this winter.. Stay tuned!
Have a great weekend everyone!
Planning Leadership Essentials
The Planning Advisory Service (PAS) are delivering one of our LGA Leadership Essentials councillor training residential sessions at Warwick Conferences on 20 and 21 July 2024 which will help councillors who are chairs of planning committee understand the key characteristics of a good committee and develop their skills as a chair. PAS will be trialling access to an online warm-up to those who are attending. For more information and to book your place, please contact Grace Collins.
This two-day programme will help leaders and finance portfolio holders get to grips with the financial challenges facing their authorities. Facilitated by experienced local government finance practitioners, we will discuss how councils can set longer term strategies for sustainability as well as balancing the budget on an annual basis and how to work with officers to ensure that the Council is making the most of its opportunities. It is an opportunity to focus on financial management and governance ahead of the final stages of the 2024/25 budget process, but also to look longer term at what the strategic options may be for the Council and its local area.
The following dates are currently available for you to book on to:
- Programme 30: Saturday 21 September – Sunday 22 September 2024
- Programme 31: Thursday 24 October – Friday 25 October 2024
- Programme 32: Saturday 2 November – Sunday 3 November 2024
Financial governance
Good governance starts at full Council and every councillor has a role to play, but what does good financial governance look like? These two online sessions will explore this question.
LGA and Arts Council England Culture and library peer challenges
If you are about to begin new strategic work, a peer challenge could be a valuable opportunity to gain expert insights from a peer team and your stakeholders and partners. The peer team works to your brief, providing practical recommendations and information. With several dates available to December 2024, peer challenges can be tailored to a wide range of themes including hub models, community engagement, heritage, income generation. For more information visit the LGA’s Arts, culture and libraries web page
Transformation action learning sets 2024/25
Our transformation action learning sets provide a unique development opportunity for councillors and officers to explore possible solutions to overcome obstacles in their transformation programmes through action learning based principles. Please express your interest in the series you will be available to participate in via this registration form.
Dates for the Diary
Thursday 11 July 2024, 10.30am - 12.00pm
This virtual session will look at how the policy of ‘Right care, right person’ is being implemented, the emerging issues and how joint working across agencies can work effectively to embed the approach. It will explore how best to ensure that people who require care and support are able to access this in an appropriate setting and from the right professional.
Thursday 11 July 2024, 1.00pm - 3.00pm
When making decisions, it is important to do against a basis of good evidence. This webinar aims to show you how to use the numbers to tell an effective story, so that everyone can understand what you want to achieve.
Saturday 13 July– Sunday 14 July 2024
It is an introductory course and is particularly useful for councillors who are new to digitalisation and have a responsibility or an interest in shaping their council’s digitalisation programme.
Tuesday 16 July 2024, 10.00am - 11.45am
We will explore the importance of how councils can engineer service design that incorporates key stakeholders by embracing collaboration and consultation techniques and tools. Following the ‘spotlight on’ presentations, delegates will participate in a roundtable discussion.
Tuesday 16 July 2024, 10.30am - 12.00pm
This webinar will explore the opportunities to increase the climate change and wider environmental sustainability knowledge and skills of local leaders, by showcasing training LGA has been delivering, hearing from delegates who have benefited from the courses, sharing new LGA resources now available to all councils, and making the case for cascading training locally.
Thursday 25 July 2024, 10.00am - 11.00am
Following the introduction of new social housing regulations in April 2024, this online event brings together the Housing Ombudsman and Regulator of Social Housing to discuss councils’ new requirements. This informative session will provide time to hear from both organisations and provide an opportunity to ask questions.
Thursday 5 September 2024 | Manchester
This Local Government Association event is open to new members from across the North-West who have been elected (for the first time) in May 2024. The event will support newly elected members in exploring their roles. It will provide an opportunity to hear from cross-party guest speakers about their experiences and insights, as well as support this cohort of newly elected members from across the region to develop their networks.
Thursday 19 September 2024, 2.00pm - 3.30pm
This virtual event which is funded by Government will provide an overview of local government finance without any numbers - focusing instead on roles and responsibilities, key terminologies and processes. It will give you an understanding of both what you need to be aware of in your role and what you need to understand about your authority’s role and is aimed at newly elected members or those just looking for a refresh.
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