Sharing our passion for serving our communities
More than 2,500 people from the local government family and other public and voluntary sectors came together in Harrogate in October for the LGA’s annual conference.
It was an absolute pleasure to welcome delegates to what proved to be an exciting three days, with a packed programme of speeches, panel sessions, workshops and, of course, our ever popular Innovation Zone.
And it was wonderful to see such a broad spectrum of local government talent gathered together, with a shared passion for serving our communities.
All colleagues in local government work daily to bring about real change in peoples’ lives.
Behind every statistic, announcement or headline, there are real stories of families, communities, and businesses that have been positively impacted by the work of local councils.
The LGA is delighted, as your membership body, to be able to support you in everything you strive to achieve. In my speech to conference, I highlighted some of those joint achievements – including:
- ‘Make a Difference’, our national local government recruitment campaign
- the LGA’s Step Ahead campaign helping councils strengthen their support for care leavers
- the LGA’s government-funded sector-led improvement programme, which saves local authorities tens of millions of pounds each year, and which 100 per cent of chief executives and 97 per cent of council leaders say has had a positive impact on their organisation
- our council leader-led call for continuing the Household Support Fund, which has now been extended by both a Conservative and a Labour Chancellor
- the LGA’s work with the Electoral Commission and the Jo Cox Foundation on protecting candidates from abuse during the local elections.
At conference, we revealed that more than a fifth of councillors have received death threats or threats of violence in the past year.
And, ahead of last month’s Budget, we published another survey in Harrogate that found one in four councils in England – and 44 per cent of social care councils – were likely to request exceptional financial support from government in the next two financial years.
As this edition of first was going to press, we were hopeful that the Government’s recent Budget will add up to a step in the right direction for councils – but were clear that local government still faces a precarious future.
All these are examples of what we can achieve when we come together as a sector and improve and support each other as one.
I cannot stress enough how critical our cross-party collaboration has been in achieving this. From Labour to Conservative to Liberal Democrat, Independent and Green councillors, we have all come together in the spirit of service to our communities.
It is essential to remember that national government on its own, regardless of party, cannot deliver without the support and expertise of local councils as equal partners.
Since the general election, the LGA has worked tirelessly to ensure local government remains at the forefront of the national agenda, making clear in all our conversations with ministers, opposition spokespeople and all parliamentarians that local government is key to solving our biggest national challenges.
We have also stressed that without longer-term financial planning and a clearer, fairer funding system for councils, as a nation, we will continue to constrain economic growth.
As we move forward, the LGA’s job is to help councils innovate for the future.
Whether it’s through artificial intelligence (AI), or securing a sustainable workforce, or creating flexible funding models, we will be here to support you every step of the way.
Together, councils of all tiers, and of every political persuasion or none, will continue to make a difference for our residents, and I can’t wait to keep working with you all to help make our shared ambitions a reality.
Just as government can’t deliver without councils, the LGA can’t deliver without its members, so a heartfelt thank you to all who helped make annual conference such a success. I can’t wait to do it all again in Liverpool next year (1-3 July 2025).
Devolution and reorganisation
Government plans for devolution and local government reorganisation were widely trailed at the LGA’s annual conference and confirmed in October’s Budget.
An upcoming English Devolution White Paper will set out the Government’s plans to widen devolution to more areas and deepen the powers of existing mayors and their combined authorities, ensuring they have the tools needed to boost economic growth.
The first integrated settlements – or ‘single pot’ funding – will be introduced for Greater Manchester and the West Midlands Combined Authorities from 2025/26, and the Government will simplify the wider local funding landscape by reducing the number of grants and consolidating them into the local government finance settlement.
According to the Budget, the white paper will set out more detail, including on working with councils “to move to simpler structures that make sense for their local areas, with efficiency savings from council reorganisation helping to meet the needs of local people”.
The LGA remains of the view that local government reorganisation is a matter for local areas to decide.
LGA Chair Cllr Louise Gittins told conference: “Council leaders are key to local decision-making and must be an integral part of our democratic framework, whatever arrangements are put in place by government.”
Also speaking at conference, Local Government Minister Jim McMahon said the Government wanted to see combined mayoral authorities covering all of England, and that this was the “only way to achieve that power shift away from Westminster and Whitehall”.
“People want more power and control in the places where they live and want to be more optimistic about the future,” he added, saying the Government was “willing to work in partnership”.
Welcoming delegates to conference, Cllr Gareth Dadd (Con), Deputy Leader of North Yorkshire Council, outlined how it was the “first council ever to successfully pursue unitary status and devolution at the same time”.
The 2022 York and North Yorkshire devolution deal meant more decision-making powers on a local level and millions of pounds of additional funding from government, while local government reorganisation is expected to help North Yorkshire achieve more than £40 million in savings, he said.
Yet, due to escalating demand for, and the rising cost of providing, council services, it is predicted North Yorkshire will still have an annual deficit of about £48 million by 2026/27.
“We all need a sustainable long-term funding plan without delay,” he added.