Councillor Izzi Seccombe OBE In the many tributes, obituaries, and messages of condolence from around the world following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, a constant theme has been a recognition of her service, duty and devotion to communities across the UK, the Commonwealth and beyond.
If the old saying that a week is a long time in politics is true, then the last month feels like a lifetime, as we have seen the resignation of the Prime Minister and significant changes in the ministerial team at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities (DLUHC).
For the first time in three years, the showpiece event of the local government calendar will take place in person when we gather in Harrogate for the LGA’s annual conference at the end of June.
On 5 May, people across the UK will vote in a set of local elections, choosing more than 6,000 councillors and assembly members, the outcome of which will be crucial in deciding who runs services in your area and how much you will pay for them.
I would like to congratulate all the Conservative candidates who were elected or re-elected in May’s local elections and offer my commiserations to those who were unsuccessful.
At the time of writing this article, we are in the fifth week of the war in Ukraine. Like everyone else, I have been shocked by the terrible scenes that we are witnessing on a daily basis while also being humbled by the resistance and acts of heroism of the Ukrainian people.
With the publication of ‘Levelling up the UK’ and its 12 quantifiable ‘missions’, which are to be achieved by 2030, we can now fully explain to the communities and people that we represent exactly what this agenda means for them.
I am writing this comment piece in the week that the Government has announced the ending of all restrictions that were introduced to combat the Omicron variant of the coronavirus.
I hope that all first readers were able to take some time off over the Christmas period, and I would like to wish you a happy new year and all the best for 2022.
Last month, I was privileged to be part of the LGA delegation to COP26, the UN Climate Change Conference in Glasgow, alongside our Chairman, Cllr James Jamieson, Cllr David Renard, Chairman of the LGA’s Environment, Economy, Housing and Transport Board, and colleagues from the other political groups.