When I was approached towards the end of my time in the civil service to take on the role of President of the LGA, it was an easy decision to say ‘yes’.
Most of my career has been in local government; my great-grandfather and father were both councillors, as is my daughter – all for different political parties.
I am a passionate believer in the importance of local government and the value of having a single voice to champion its interests in the LGA.
Six years on, it is time for me step down and hand on the baton to Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson, who will take over as LGA President at its AGM on 6 July. I wish her all the very best in this.
The role of president is largely ceremonial, but it does give you the opportunity, with the LGA’s vice-presidents, to connect with the current issues for local government and speak on its behalf in Parliament.
To say that the past six years have been a rollercoaster ride would be an understatement. We have had Brexit, COVID-19, the commitment by central and local government to move to zero carbon by 2050, and the rise of the Black Lives Matter movement, following the terrible death of George Floyd in Minneapolis – to name just four momentous events.
My first year in the Lords was consumed with challenging proposals in the Housing and Planning Bill, which would, among other things, have forced housing associations to adopt Right to Buy with discounts funded by the forced sale of high-value council properties.
This very divisive policy was fortunately put on the back burner when Theresa May became Prime Minister, in favour of a much more balanced policy that also allowed local authorities to borrow to build their own homes.
“I am very frustrated that we still do not have a resolution to the urgent challenge of funding social care”
This change of policy is just one example of how persistent lobbying by the LGA has brought results to the benefit of its members.
As a representative body, the LGA faces the typical ‘insider/outsider’ challenge. If it is too critical of government, there is a risk that ministers will simply stop listening.
On the other hand, its members are likely to become restive if it does not challenge government plans that they believe are fundamentally wrong and work against its interests. Ideally, the LGA is drawn in early and can influence emerging policies before they are announced. But this isn’t always possible, particularly when election manifestos are being written.
I think that the LGA has navigated this difficult divide effectively. One of the reasons for this is the excellent quality of advice and support from LGA officers, who are consistently strong on both the big arguments and the detail. It is rare that a debate happens on domestic policy where LGA advice is not drawn on.
As well as the successes on policy, there are the ones that got away.
I am very frustrated that we still do not have a resolution to the urgent challenge of funding social care nor indeed to the sustainable long-term funding of local government itself.
We urgently need to hear the Government’s plans on these vital issues.
Equally, local councils have proved themselves extraordinarily resilient and effective in their response to the pandemic but, as a country, we are still hampered by excessive centralism.
The promised White Paper on levelling up needs to include a step change in devolution of both powers and funding to allow local authorities to take the lead on economic recovery.
Finally, unless the Government changes its thinking, I fear we are going to have an almighty battle on the forthcoming Planning Bill, which will dramatically reduce the role of councillors in the planning process and risks building the wrong homes in the wrong places.
Although no longer president from 6 July, I will continue to play an active role working with local councils and supporting the LGA in Parliament. There is still a lot that needs doing.
