No.592 October 2015www.local.gov.uk

the magazine for local government

6-7 9 12-13The Spending Review 2015 Counting the future cost to councils

Children and public health Transfer of services for under-fives

Party conferences Conservative and Labour previews

“Local government is under calamitous threat because of the funding situation” Tim Farron, Leader of the Liberal Democrats

Interview:

October 2015 first contents | 3

features6 The LGA’s Spending

Review submission

8 Children’s services

10 School improvement in Lincolnshire

11 Gordon Brown on devolution

12 Party conferences

14 The LGA’s new executive

news4 Resettling refugees

Celebrate cultural heritage

comment21 Partnership key to

child protection

22 LGA chairman and group leaders

24 Thinking family in West Sussex

25 Commercialisation as an antidote to cuts

26 Supporting local small businesses

5 Devolution deals Revamped ramps

regulars28 Letters and

sound bites

31 Elections

interview16 Tim Farron, Leader of

the Liberal Democrats

“The housing crisis can only be solved if local authorities are given the power to do things”

48

2821

16

5

contentsIt’s all about the money

The Government’s Spending Review on

25 November, setting out funding for the next five years, could not be more important for the future of the services we provide for local residents.

LGA research shows existing and additional cost pressures on councils will amount to £10 billion by 2020, and we are lobbying for these to be funded. You can find out more about this and the LGA’s submission to the Spending Review in the lead feature in this edition of first.

Elsewhere in the magazine, we are looking ahead to the National Children and Adult Services Conference later this month, with a look at children’s public health, education, and Lincolnshire’s ‘no school left behind’ improvement programme of peer support. See next month’s edition for more on adult social care, one of the key areas of concern when it comes to funding.

The party conferences are now up and running, and we have an interview with Lib Dem Leader Tim Farron, plus previews of the Conservative and Labour events.

Finally, you can also read about former Prime Minister Gordon Brown’s appearance before the Inquiry into Better Devolution, and his concerns about equity when it comes to devolving greater financial powers to local authorities. As ever, it’s all about the money.Cllr Gary Porter is Chairman of the LGA

Editor Karen Thornton

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Photography Photofusion and Ingimage unless otherwise stated Cover and interview Chris Sharp

Circulation 18,400 (October 2015) To unsubscribe email first@oscar-research.co.uk

The inclusion of an advert or insert in first does not imply endorsement by the LGA of any product or service. Contributors’ views are their own and do not necessarily reflect the opinions or policies of the LGA.

4 | first news www.local.gov.uk

newsCouncils bid for more devolved powersA total of 34 landmark proposals from cities, towns and counties were submitted to the Government ahead of its devolution deadline last month.

Bids from across England, including from Liverpool, the North East, Gloucestershire and the West Midlands, included calls for powers over education, transport, healthcare and housing spending, and will be considered as part of the Spending Review.

Communities Secretary Greg Clark praised councils for “embracing the opportunity” to shape their future, and said he would work with each local area to “turn their proposals into reality”.

As part of its Spending Review submission, the LGA has urged the Government to match the ambition of communities by devolving, or handing greater local influence over, at least £60 billion of central government spending to local areas.

It argues that taking decisions closer to where people live can achieve up to £20 billion in potential public sector savings as well as creating at least £80 billion in economic

news in brief

Cuts ‘too big’ to be plugged by reserves

Council reserves would be spent in less than three years if local authorities used

them to plug expected funding cuts, new LGA analysis shows. It forecasts that the cumulative gap between projected council funding and expenditure will reach £17.9 billion by 2018/19. Latest figures show councils held £17.1 billion in reserves at 31 March 2015. Cllr Claire Kober, the LGA’s Finance Spokesman, said: “The size of cuts councils are having to make are simply too big to be plugged by reserves. Spending them in this way would be a gamble with the future of people who rely on council services and would put local areas on the fast-track to financial failure.”

Open days celebrate cultural heritage

Ryhope Pumping Station (pictured), built in the 1880s, was among almost 50 historic buildings and venues across

Sunderland to take part in last month’s heritage open days, the country’s largest free celebration of architecture, history and culture. Cllr John Kelly, Sunderland City Council’s Portfolio Holder for Public Health, Wellness and Culture (pictured, left), said: “The number of properties and organisations who want to get involved and events taking place continues to grow every year along with visitor numbers. Our community has a rich cultural heritage and the open days provide a great reminder of that, generating a lot of interest with people keen to come along and find out more and get involved with a wide range of unusual and unique activities.”

Youth homelessness

growth and 700,000 new jobs. Cllr Gary Porter, LGA Chairman, said: “It is

right that the Spending Review will prioritise radical devolution of power within England.

“Local people know best how to spend money and run services in their areas and the large number of devolution bids submitted to the Treasury shows the huge appetite within local government for greater local powers and funding over skills, housing, transport and health and social care.

“Councils hold the key to unleashing the full potential of local communities, helping balance the nation’s books and improving our public services. Devolution is not enough to achieve this on its own and we also need the Spending Review to hand us the fairer funding to make that happen.”

LGA devolution proposals include expanding the Local Growth Fund to £19 billion, handing local areas full control over £5.3 billion worth of EU funding, and replacing the £620 million Work Programme, which aims to get the long-term unemployed into jobs.

Concerns raised by charity Centrepoint about youth

homelessness have highlighted that councils are increasingly going above and beyond their statutory duties to prevent homelessness. Examples of proactive work include increasing use of family mediation, support to find a tenancy in the private rented sector or help to deal with debt to prevent or relieve youth homelessness. Cllr Peter Box, LGA Housing Spokesman, said: “It is a tragedy when anyone becomes homeless and councils work hard to find appropriate accommodation for homeless people, particularly those who are young, vulnerable, or with families.”

October 2015 first news | 5

See p28, letters. What do you think about the refugee crisis? Send your views to first@local.gov.uk and they could be published on our letters pages

news in brief

Councils handle ‘bizarre’ calls

Syrian resettlement ‘must be fully funded’ Peerages for local

government leaders

Asking the regulations for hosting a mouse race (Somerset), getting

help with a tricky crossword answer (Staffordshire) and finding out how to cook instant noodles (Stevenage) – these are just a few examples of unusual enquiries received by council customer call centres in the last year. Centres handle more than 50 million calls each year, usually about council tax and parking, but some of the quirkier examples leave staff scratching their heads. Cllr Peter Fleming, LGA Deputy Chairman, said: “The fact that councils are so often the first port of call for residents who are seeking a solution to their problems shows just how central a role councils play in the lives of their communities.”

As councils across the country continue to come forward with offers of support for Syrian refugees, the LGA is pressing government for urgent clarity on how the scheme will work and be funded.

By the end of this Parliament, David Cameron has pledged that the UK will take 20,000 Syrian refugees. The LGA is calling on government to recognise the long- term nature of resettling Syrian refugees in communities and make a firm commitment that funding to councils will reflect this.

Without it, councils are unable to plan effectively to ensure vulnerable children, families and adults have access to the public services they will need and are not seen as a burden by the communities who will be welcoming them.

Cllr David Simmonds, Chairman of the LGA’s Asylum, Migration and Refugee Task Group, said: “Councils have an excellent track record in supporting refugee children and their families with effective systems in place which allow us to take in thousands across the country each year.

“The urgent focus for councils now will be how to best manage the impending arrival of people so they settle in areas where they can be found somewhere suitable to live, have access to jobs and healthcare and where their children can find a school place.

“The LGA will continue to work closely with government to coordinate offers of help from councils with capacity in order to draw up a coherent and sustainable plan for

LGA Chairman Cllr Gary Porter and three other council leaders were among a

host of new life peers created by the Queen in the Dissolution Peerages 2015. Cllr Porter will be joined in the House of Lords by Cllr Elizabeth Redfern (Con), Leader of North Lincolnshire Council; Cllr Jane Scott OBE (Con), Leader of Wiltshire Council; and Dorothy Thornhill MBE (Lib Dem), Mayor of Watford.

Votes for women

Anational project has been launched to involve communities and councils in

marking the 100th anniversary of women’s suffrage in 2018. Led by the Women’s Local Government Society (WLGS) with Buckinghamshire County Council and the LGA, the idea is to find and pay tribute to 100 pioneers who fought for universal suffrage and then participated in public life. Women were able to vote in council elections from the late 19th century but it was not until 1918 that some were allowed to vote for the first time in parliamentary elections. Cllr Lesley Clarke OBE, WLGS Chairman, said: “1918 is a very important milestone for this country’s democracy and we want all communities to join in and celebrate. Email celebrations_2018@yahoo.co.uk

Revamped ramps

Young people in Ashford have collaborated with local artist Sam Cox

(pictured) to help revamp skate ramps at Sk8side Youth Centre in the town. They came up with themes including friendship, communication and learning new skating skills. Cllr Jessamy Blanford, Ashford Borough Council’s Portfolio Holder for Culture, Leisure and the Environment, said: “It is important to keep Ashford’s youth facilities looking fresh for the young people who use them. This project was a wonderful collaboration between the young people who use Sk8side and a local artist. It is fantastic to see how the themes and ideas suggested by the youngsters have been translated into a trendy new mural for the youth facility.”

resettling refugees so they enjoy a smooth transition to life in the UK.”

It is clear from discussions with government that ministers are appreciative of local government’s efforts so far and the commitment from councils to make any scheme work. The LGA will be coordinating offers and queries from councils via the regional strategic migration partnerships, so please contact your regional representative if you are able to help in any way.

The Government has now confirmed that the resettling of refugees in the UK will not involve people needing to provide spare rooms in their own home. Instead, anyone with a property they are willing to offer or wanting to become a foster carer to a vulnerable child should contact their local council.

Further information, contact details (including for regional representatives) and the latest government advice can be found on the LGA website’s dedicated refugee page www.local.gov.uk/refugees

www.local.gov.uk6 | first feature

featuresShaping the future of public services The LGA has submitted its proposals to the Government’s Spending Review, due on 25 November

Councils are under no illusions about the significant challenge that lies ahead as the Chancellor prepares to deliver the Spending

Review which will shape the future of our public services for the next decade.

The terms of reference for the Spending Review rightly prioritise the radical devolution of power within England, and we need the review to be guided by the fundamental principle that local people will know best how to spend money and run services in their local area.

That is why the proposals within our submission to the Treasury include the devolution of, or greater local influence over, at least £60 billion of central government spending over the next five years.

The Spending Review is also an ideal opportunity to go even further and implement a single place-based budget approach for delivering all local services through a Local Public Services Fund, and to develop an ambitious and effective Local Growth Fund with agreed settlements in devolution deals that last until 2020/21.

This will enable local areas to plan, integrate and deliver welfare support, employment, health and skills provision in line with local economic need; and to gear the skills system – further education, adult skills training, support for the unemployed – towards the skills employers are

demanding, addressing unemployment and underemployment and closing skill gaps. These are all essential for boosting national growth and productivity.

Our submission, Spending Smarter: A Shared Commitment, also calls for councils to be handed four-year local government settlements to allow them to undertake the long-term financial planning essential to delivering local services more efficiently and more effectively.

Satisfaction with those local services remains high despite councils receiving 40 per cent less core government funding in comparison to 2010. We all know that. But the resilience of local government cannot be stretched much further.

Comprehensive analysis we have produced for the Treasury of the pressures facing councils over the next few years reveals demand pressures, inflation, government policies and other factors will cost councils £10 billion in 2019/20 alone.

For example, rolling out Universal Credit for previous housing benefit claimants

Cllr Gary Porter is Chairman of the LGA

You can download Spending Smarter: A Shared Commitment at www.local.gov.uk/publications

will make it difficult for councils to collect overpayment debts worth up to £1 billion. Introducing the National Living Wage for council staff and care workers over the age of 25 will cost councils £834 million a year by 2019/20.

Local authorities also face increased National Insurance contributions of £797 million a year following the end of state pension contracted out arrangements in 2016.

Our submission has also identified further areas where additional costs will be incurred but are difficult to quantify. These include changes to support for failed asylum seekers and unaccompanied child asylum seekers, freezing Local Housing Allowance, the benefit cap, increased demand for children’s services, increasing waste recycling targets and the 75 per cent of leisure centres across the country in need of refurbishment.

For next month’s Spending Review decisions to be sustainable for councils, it is important for the Government to be aware of the scale of these future pressures and fully fund new burdens for local authorities.

October 2015 first feature | 7

Better use of public landThe Government should raise its ambition to sell off public assets from the current target of £5 billion between 2015 and 2020 up to £13 billion – the level that councils are set to achieve. If councils had a ‘power to direct’ the sale of government-owned public land and the ability to retain 10 per cent of receipts, they could deliver 180,000 new homes across government-owned land. The sales would generate £11.7 billion of capital receipts for the Government, which should be used to fund the extension of Right to Buy.

Council taxThe majority of councils froze council tax over the lifetime of the last Parliament and will continue to do so wherever it is possible. However, given future cost pressures, especially in relation to adult social care, we believe that the council tax referendum limit (currently 2 per cent) should be lifted. In addition, any call from the Treasury contingency that would have been used to fund subsequent council tax freeze grants should instead be used to reduce the top slice currently used to fund the New Homes Bonus.

Procurement and digitalWe need greater transparency of the commercial terms of public sector contracts to show where value is best added. Government should facilitate policy that actively encourages, or even enforces, businesses to be more transparent about the contracts they have with public bodies and the prices they charge. As part of this drive towards transparency we propose to undertake a national purchase spending analysis that identifies categories of spend mapped to local government’s procurement classification system. Providing the funding for this, estimated at £1 million, would be one way the Government could support councils to unlock significant further savings.

Have your say

What do you think should be in the Spending Review? How is your council preparing for the next five years of financial constraint?

Send your views and proposals to first@local.gov.uk, for possible publication in the next edition.

Spending Smarter: A Shared Commitment – key proposals

Funding certaintyAt a time of unprecedented reductions in funding and an increasing focus on integration of public services, the Government should commit to a long-term local government finance settlement which would cover the five years of the Spending Review. Stable, long-term settlements will allow councils and other local service providers to plan strategies to drive further efficiencies, make prudent financial management decisions and deliver value for money while integrating public services at a local level.

Adult social careIf adult social care is put on a sustainable foundation, integration of care and health can become more ambitious and deliver savings and improve outcomes. The LGA submission argues this can be achieved by allocating £2 billion in each year of the Spending Review to be used in part to support investment in a more ambitious prevention strategy. It could generate a net return of 90 per cent over the next five years. Health and wellbeing boards should also become the leaders of local care and health systems.

Local Growth FundThe Government should increase the Local Growth Fund (LGF) to at least £19 billion over the course of the Parliament. It should include the £291 million of the Bus Services Operator Grant, £976 million of maintenance funding and influence over Highways England’s £15 billion spending. All broadband and digital connectivity funding, flood protection infrastructure funding and regional growth funding should also be pooled into the expanded LGF.

www.local.gov.uk

Scrutinising children’s services

With education and children’s services under close scrutiny and never far from media headlines, this month’s National Children and Adult

Services Conference (NCASC) in Bournemouth will provide the ideal opportunity for everyone striving to provide the very best for our country’s children and young people to debate, share best practice and hear from leading politicians and practitioners.

Anyone involved with children’s services knows that although our social workers are faced with record numbers of children in need of support, tough budget settlements and, quite often, negative public perceptions, they work tirelessly, day in, day out, to support and improve the lives of some of our most vulnerable youngsters.

For the thousands of hard-working teachers in our schools who constantly face challenging circumstances and targets, their dedication to the profession is also ensuring that everything possible is being done to allow every child to reach their full potential. With both government and councils

setting high expectations, it is testament to their determination to succeed and good partnership working that hundreds of schools, often in disadvantaged areas, are being turned around with more than 80 per cent of council-maintained schools now rated good or outstanding by Ofsted.

I want to work co-operatively with Ofsted to ensure that it undertakes robust, transparent and credible inspections of both schools and children’s services. The LGA, along with the Association of Directors of Children’s Services, will be exploring NCASC delegates’ views as to whether a sector-led, multi-agency approach to inspection would provide a more coherent view of children’s services and help restore confidence in the inspection system.

We look forward to discussing how this new approach could be delivered as we examine the challenges, benefits and any potential risks in taking such an approach. Colleagues from Ofsted will be taking part in the debate and will offer their views on their inspection model and future plans.

NCASC delegates will have ample opportunity to network, with sessions

8 | first feature

National Children and Adult Services Conference

The National Children and Adult Services Conference takes place in Bournemouth from 14 to 16 October. Speakers include Health Secretary Jeremy Hunt, other national politicians and Simon Stevens, Chief Executive of NHS England. You can book your place at www.local.gov.uk/events

Cllr Roy Perry is Chairman of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board

dedicated to children and young people running across the full three days of conference and covering a number of topics. We will learn what local authorities are doing to reduce the number of looked after children entering the criminal justice system and how early intervention is helping to prevent costly problems in future life.

On child sexual exploitation (see p21), we will hear more about the important lessons learnt from recent high profile cases; and on radicalisation we will explore how councils are working across the board as part of the Government’s Prevent programme.

Finally, we know that strong leadership, outstanding classroom teaching and effective support staff and governors are the crucial factors in transforming standards in struggling schools. So I would like to place on record the LGA’s thanks to all those who work so hard in schools of all types.

Over the last year, the LGA has remained extremely vocal on funding, school places, and coasting schools. Following the success of last year’s education question time at NCASC, it returns to provide an opportunity to explore these issues and others with leading education experts. Delegates are currently being invited to submit potential questions for inclusion in this session so please do get involved and send any ideas to clive.harris@local.gov.uk

Could a sector-led, multi-agency approach to inspection restore confidence in the system?

Healthy beginnings

The transfer to councils of public health responsibilities for the under-fives is a tremendous opportunity to give every child the best start in life

A newborn baby’s brain is only around one-quarter the size of an adult’s. It grows to about 80 per cent of adult size by three years and 90 per cent by age five. A baby’s

earliest experiences will shape their brain development, and have a lifelong impact on their mental health and wellbeing.

Giving children a healthy start in life is one of the most important jobs councils do and we all have a duty to make sure that children, along with their mums and dads, have access to the services they need.

That’s why the transfer of public health commissioning responsibilities for under-fives to local government this month marks such a tremendous opportunity. It brings a new momentum for developing and driving forward a shared vision for local children, young people and families.

As you will already know, this journey began in 2013 when services for five to 19-year-olds transferred to local government, along with wider public health responsibilities. Since then we have seen health and wellbeing boards prioritise Marmot’s most important principle – ‘to give every child the best start in life’ – and now we have a fresh opportunity to deliver that commitment. From 1 October, the universal Healthy Child programme for 0-5 year olds and the targeted Family Nurse programme will transfer to councils. Health visitors and family nurses will remain employed by their provider organisations.

Health visitors are in an excellent place to spot problems early and to deliver support to stop problems from escalating.

And councils and school nurses are already working together to co-ordinate and deliver public health interventions

for school-aged children. This work includes reducing childhood obesity, under-18 conception rates, prevalence of chlamydia, and management of mental health disorders.

Health visitors, family nurses and school nurses will play an important role in helping councils to join up pathways for children from birth to age 19, and for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities up to age 25.

Working with partners we can make

The transfer of public health responsibilities for the under-fives is just one of the health and social care issues up for debate at this month’s National Children and Adult Services Conference in Bournemouth. Others include funding for adult social care (see first 591), the introduction of the Care Act reforms, the postponement of the cap on care costs, dementia, adult safeguarding, integration and the Better Care Fund. See next month’s first for more on social care and funding. Go to www.local.gov.uk/events to book your place at conference or follow #ncasc15 to keep up with events on Twitter

Cllr Izzi Seccombeis the LGA’s Portfolio Holder for Community Wellbeing

first feature | 9October 2015

sure that children and young people experience smooth transitions between social care, education and health services at key points in their life.

Councils, as new commissioners of these services, will need to understand the needs of their local communities so that they can provide quality and cost-effective services. It’s the rich information that school nurses, health visitors and family nurses hold that councils will value when commissioning and designing services. I hope partners will use the transfer to be ambitious for their local children, young people and families. This will of course require strong partnership working, listening and learning from each other, creativity and sheer hard work to overcome organisational barriers. But if we persevere, our children, our communities and our organisations will continue to reap the benefits for many years to come.

10 | first feature www.local.gov.uk

No school left behind

Lincolnshire is developing a sector- led approach to school improvement in partnership with head teachers

We take great pride in the wide range of education available in Lincolnshire, whether it’s secondary, primary, special or nursery

school provision, and no matter how the school is structured.

Our established maintained, foundation, faith and grammar schools give our parents and their children an excellent choice in their education.

When it comes to school improvement, the end of our current contract in 2017 has allowed us to review and look at a new model for this important area. We want to ensure performance across all our schools is good if not excellent, with effective support in place to identify and tackle any weaknesses at an early stage.

We believe that the skills are in the sector so we are working in partnership with local education system leaders to build a new, sector-led model of school improvement which harnesses our local talent.

Reduced government funding, the growth of academies away from local authority control and a large number of small rural schools which need support bring real challenges.

The questions we asked ourselves were how does a school system with poor performance become good, and how does one with a good performance become excellent?

From September 2014, schools and academies have come on board across Lincolnshire to take up the challenge and be part of a new local system which encourages collaboration and innovation.

They have championed a sector-led approach, where schools take collective responsibility for school improvement across clusters to help and support each other.

The school-led self-improvement system aims for:• a compelling and inclusive

moral purpose• high expectations to drive

and secure improvement • clear focus on raising standards• support and challenge through

expert leaders• best school leaders supporting

others to improve• networks sharing best practice.

A Lincolnshire Learning Partnership has been established offering peer review training, networking and excellent professional development opportunities for teachers.

Each school will undertake one peer review annually and the outcomes will help us to know each school well so that excellent practice can be shared as well as identifying

Lincolnshire County Council’s ‘No school left behind’ policy will be discussed at the National Children and Adult Services Conference in Bournemouth this month, see www.local.gov.uk/events

Cllr Patricia Bradwell is Deputy Leader and Executive Councillor for Children’s Services at Lincolnshire County Council

those schools requiring early intervention or additional challenge for improvement.

Excellent practice across Lincolnshire will be identified and fed into the network of experienced middle/senior leaders, local leaders of education, and national leaders of education and of governance.

As the Lincolnshire Learning Partnership matures, it will become an alliance of Lincolnshire schools challenging each other to do better and supporting weaker schools to improve.

A partnership board of head teachers has taken ownership of the strategic vision for education in Lincolnshire. They will be charged with ensuring the performance of schools in Lincolnshire improves. The risk of isolation will be reduced by offering all schools access to a professional learning partnership and opportunities for working across the system.

The board has agreed accountability measures and access to resources from Lincolnshire County Council. So this will become the engine of improvement striving to reduce any disparity in performance across Lincolnshire.

Primary teachers from peer reviews have welcomed the joint working between staff and governors, and the honest and constructive feedback which has been the catalyst for improvement.

What has pleased me is the willingness to develop a culture and practice of reflection and enquiry within and beyond individual schools that underpins self-improvement. When we begin to challenge each other and use that challenge as a support for better practice, accountability will become an effective vehicle to raise aspirations and accelerate improvement in Lincolnshire.

October 2015 first feature | 11

Devolution debate begins Giving local government more financial autonomy could raise questions of equity, Gordon Brown has warned a cross-party inquiry into the future of devolution

Former Prime Minister Gordon Brown has warned that the UK is close to breaking point and the constitution is falling apart at the seams, in evidence to a cross-party committee looking

at better devolutionMr Brown also called for a constitutional

convention – a people’s convention – that reaches beyond the political parties to consult with the general public about much needed reform.

“I would hope,” he added, “that decentralisation could happen in relation to England as well as the other nations.”

Mr Brown was the first person to give oral evidence to the Inquiry into Better Devolution, chaired by LGA President Lord Kerslake and established by the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) for Reform, Decentralisation and Devolution.

In a wide-ranging discussion of constitutional reform and its implications, Mr Brown set out key principles for devolution, warned ‘English votes for English laws’ could wreck the union, and said local and regional devolution should proceed at its own pace.

He made the case for ‘sharing’ and interdependence rather than autonomous, separate devolution of the four nations, noting they cannot be equal when England makes up 84 per cent of the union by population.

Instead, devolution and constitutional reform must be based on shared and agreed principles and social and economic rights for citizens that unite the nations and regions. These rights could include free healthcare, education, support for the unemployed and disabled, and to a pension

The UK should be the protector of minority rights and distribute resources according to need to ensure the agreed rights of all citizens. Referring to tensions over welfare reform in Scotland and Northern Ireland, Mr Brown noted the UK wants to hold onto this area but added: “I do see the possibility of devolving power in a way

that allows them to have more responsibility in dealing with issues of welfare.

“Everyone in the UK will have basic social and economic rights, but the ability to top that up should be at the discretion of the Scottish Parliament. I think local government will ask whether it might upgrade its powers in this area, and there may be powers for the Welsh Assembly also.”

However, topping up does raise issues of liberty and equity, he noted.

“On the grounds of liberty, you want to give greater financial powers to authorities and Parliament, and that seems only fair. The whole point of having power at the centre is so that you can give it away to local communities in order to allow them to have more power.

“You then run up against the principle of equity, as you want to see the resources of the UK meeting the needs of the people. Local government…relies too much on money in the centre. They should have more autonomy to raise their own revenues, but you have to then get the balance right between freedom and equity. What a local authority could spend on its own services would be different in a poor area, so you have to get the equity right. You also have to fit what the people want locally.”

Also giving evidence to the inquiry were Jim Gallagher, an Associate Member of Nuffield College, Oxford University, and former Director General for Devolution at the Cabinet Office; and Robert Hazell, Professor of Government and the Constitution and Director of the Constitution Unit at UCL.

The APPG inquiry is looking at the devolved nations, local government, central powers in the UK and intra-UK relations, and wider constitutional reform, with a final report expected in the spring. Written evidence can be submitted up until 1 October to publicaffairs.team@local.gov.uk

See www.local.gov.uk/devolution/appg for more information

12 | first feature www.local.gov.uk

Cllr Jim McMahon OBE is Leader of Labour Local Government and of the LGA’s Labour Group

Local government successesLabour councillors and elected mayors continue to be the voice of Labour in power, writes Cllr Jim McMahon

the means to improve society that the party must draw upon.

Therefore, whatever your views on the House of Lords, Labour missed a trick in not drawing on the experience of those in local government in the recently announced Dissolution Honours list. Whether it is on extending Right to Buy, welfare cuts or public service reform, it is councillors who have the experience necessary to amend the excesses of government policy or suggest alternatives.

To further reflect the need for this experience of winning and governing,

Labour should also have more than two dedicated local government representatives upon the ruling National Executive Committee. Hopefully these are issues that can be addressed by Jeremy Corbyn.

All four candidates for the party leadership supported radical devolution and fair funding for local government during the Labour leadership hustings held at the LGA’s annual conference in July. It is important these pledges are honoured through the party’s policy-forming mechanism. Annual conference would be a pertinent opportunity to begin addressing these commitments.

Labour may be out of power for the next five years nationally, but Labour is in power in many of the UK’s cities, towns, counties and districts. Labour councils are balancing central government imposed cuts with delivering good quality public services that meet the needs and aspirations of local communities.

As this edition of first arrives with readers, Labour will be holding its 2015 annual conference – four and a half months since the General Election and just two and a half

weeks after the party and supporters elected our new party Leader, Jeremy Corbyn, and Deputy Leader Tom Watson.

With more than 500 fringe events and over 11,000 people attending, annual conference will see a mixture of soul searching as to why we were unsuccessful in forming a government, as well as opportunities to debate renewal as we go forward. It will also see many new members attend for the very first time.

There will be opportunities for Labour local government to discuss and debate the election result and the future at the local government reception on the Sunday evening (27 September) and at the LGA Labour Group fringe event on devolution (Monday 28 September). All Labour councillors are welcome to attend.

Conference this year is being held in Brighton, where Cllr Warren Morgan and his team made electoral gains that have seen them become the largest political group, wresting control of the local authority for Labour from the Greens.

While many in the media and the party speculate whether Labour’s future success can be determined by a movement to the left or or to the right, our new team and the rest of the party need to learn from where Labour is most successful. As Labour in Brighton & Hove can testify, this is in local government. Up and down the country, Labour councillors are being elected, winning control of councils and putting Labour values into practice.

So while Labour continues with the politics of opposition in Westminster, it is Labour councillors and elected mayors who continue to be the voice of Labour in power in this country. It is this experience of being closer to our communities, seeing the impact of government policy first-hand and having

Labour conference preview

Greg Clarkis Secretary of State for Communities and Local Government

Power to the peopleAs we gather together in Manchester for this year’s Conservative party conference, we do so on the cusp of one of the biggest changes in our country for 150 years, writes Greg Clark

Whitehall departments and putting it in the hands of local and civic business leaders to build roads and bridges, back science parks and provide land for industry, and to train young people with the skills that local employers need.

As we gather in Manchester – the birthplace, but in no way the limit of, the Northern Powerhouse – you can’t help but feel the energy. A new confidence in the prospects for the North of England, new jobs, new businesses, investment in science and universities, in infrastructure helping

businesses grow from Liverpool to Hull and from Crewe to Berwick.

Why has the time come for devolution? As we recover from the recession it’s clear that for our country to succeed to the maximum extent possible, for us to fulfil our potential, every part of the country needs to be successful – not just parts of it.

For years now seven of the eight biggest English cities outside London have been below the national average for GDP per head, whereas in Germany all eight of the biggest cities outside the capital outstrip the country in terms of output per head.

Motor of growthIt doesn’t have to be this way. Germany shows that a city’s industrial past need not stand in the way of it being a motor of growth of the national economy today. For Britain to achieve its full potential, every part of the country must contribute to its success.

And it’s not just the cities. In July, I joined the Prime Minister to launch the Cornwall Devolution Deal. Our smaller towns and our counties, too, have an essential part to play in our economic success – as places where jobs can be created, businesses nurtured, skills acquired and homes built.

Now it is time to not only build on this success, but also go much further.

The Cities and Local Government Devolution Bill currently going through parliament will allow us to negotiate with cities, towns and counties across the country to give them the power to do what is needed locally to galvanise their local economies.

Of course there must be checks and balances, and where significant powers are transferred that must involve the clear accountability that the most important cities across the world have from a leader with a public mandate.

Our plan for a brighter future for Britain rests on every part of Britain contributing to our success. The reforms we are making are a historic opportunity to unleash the dynamism and local pride of every part of the country.

Devolution is the word of the moment. Everyone wants to create their own powerhouse. Local areas are asking themselves what powers do we need to

effect change and how can we get them. And central government is listening.

Over the best part of a century, successive governments drew powers to themselves and away from the rest of the country.

But in 2010 we changed the direction of policy. We put more power in the hands of local people to respond to the particular needs and opportunities of the places they know and love.

Our City Deals programme was described by the Centre for Cities think tank as “the biggest shift in central and local government relations for decades”. Our Growth Deals programme is taking £12 billion from

Conservative conference preview

October 2015 first feature | 13

www.local.gov.uk

On the boardThere are some new faces on the LGA’s Executive, the body which provides strategic direction to your association

The LGA is a politically-led, cross-party organisation that works on behalf of councils to ensure local government has a strong, credible voice with national government. We aim to

influence and set the political agenda on the issues that matter to councils so they are able to deliver local solutions to national problems.

We are a membership organisation,

representing all bar three of England’s 353 councils, all 22 Welsh councils via the Welsh LGA, 31 fire authorities, 10 national parks and one town council. These member organisations are represented on the LGA’s boards and other governance structures, and in particular on its executive – which provides strategic direction to the LGA. The LGA Executive is made up of the LGA Leadership Board (chairman, vice-chairs

14 | first feature

Cllr Gary Porter (Con, South Holland) is Chairman of the LGA and Leader of South Holland District Council. A former Leader of the LGA’s Conservative

Group, he was first elected to South Holland in 2001 and became its Leader in 2003. gporter@sholland.gov.uk

Cllr David Hodge (Con, Surrey) is an LGA Vice-Chairman and Leader of the LGA’s Conservative Group. He was elected to Surrey County Council in 2005, becoming Leader

in 2011, and is a former Chairman of the County Councils Network. david.hodge@surreycc.gov.uk

Cllr Jim McMahon OBE (Lab, Oldham) is an LGA Vice-Chair and Leader of the LGA’s Labour Group. He was first elected to Oldham Metropolitan Borough

Council in 2003, becoming one of the country’s youngest council leaders in 2011, aged 30. jim.mcmahon@oldham.gov.uk

Cllr Marianne Overton MBE (Ind, Lincolnshire) is an LGA Vice-Chair and Leader of the LGA’s Independent Group. She was first elected to North Kesteven

District Council in 1995 and to Lincolnshire County Council in 2001, and is Leader of the Lincolnshire Independents. cllrm.overton@lincolnshire.gov.uk

Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson (Lib Dem, Portsmouth) is an LGA Vice-Chair and Leader of the LGA’s Liberal Democrat Group. He has been a member of Portsmouth City Council

since 2003 and was its Leader from 2004 to 2014. geraldvj@gmail.com

Cllr Sean Anstee (Con, Trafford) is an LGA Deputy Chairman and Leader of Trafford Metropolitan Borough Council. He was first elected in 2008. sean.anstee@trafford.gov.uk

Cllr Peter Fleming (Con, Sevenoaks) is an LGA Deputy Chairman and Leader of Sevenoaks District Council, where he has been a member since 1999. cllr.fleming@sevenoaks.gov.uk

Cllr Philippa Roe (Con, Westminster) is an LGA Deputy Chairman. She was first elected to Westminster City Council in 2006 and became its Leader in 2012. leader@westminster.gov.uk

Cllr David Simmonds CBE (Con, Hillingdon) is an LGA Deputy Chairman and Chairman of the LGA’s Improvement and Innovation Board. He has been Deputy Leader

of Hillingdon since 2002 and is also its Cabinet Member for Education and Children’s Services. dsimmonds@hillingdon.gov.uk

Mayor Sir Steve Bullock (Lab, Lewisham) is an LGA Deputy Chair and Deputy Leader of the LGA Labour Group. He was first elected as Lewisham’s Mayor in 2002.

steve.bullock@lewisham.gov.uk

Cllr Nick Forbes (Lab, Newcastle) is an LGA Deputy Chair. He was elected to Newcastle City Council in 2000 and became Leader in 2011. nick.forbes@newcastle.gov.uk

Cllr Sharon Taylor OBE (Lab, Stevenage) is an LGA Deputy Chair, Deputy Leader of the LGA Labour Group, Leader of Stevenage Borough Council, and a member

of Hertfordshire County Council. sharon.taylor@stevenage.gov.uk

Cllr Keith Wakefield (Lab, Leeds) is an LGA Deputy Chair and Leader of Leeds City Council. He was first elected to the council in 1988.keith.wakefield@leeds.gov.uk

Cllr Anne Western (Lab, Derbyshire) is an LGA Deputy Chair. She is the Leader and Cabinet Member for Strategic Policy and Budget at Derbyshire County Council.

anne.western@derbyshire.gov.uk

Cllr Peter Reeve (UKIP, Cambridgeshire) is an LGA Deputy Chair, Deputy Leader of the LGA’s Independent Group, and a member of Cambridgeshire

County and Huntingdonshire District Councils. peter.reeve@cambridgeshire.gov.uk

Mayor Dorothy Thornhill MBE (Lib Dem, Watford) is an LGA Deputy Chair, Deputy Leader of the LGA Liberal Democrat Group, and was elected Mayor of Watford Borough

Council in 2002. themayor@watford.gov.uk

LGA leadership board

and deputy chairs), chairs of the LGA’s policy boards and portfolios, and ‘balancing’ members, regional members, and non-voting members.

Places on the executive, boards and other structures are shared out between the four political groups (Conservative, Labour, Independent and Liberal Democrat) according to the LGA’s political proportionality – calculated each year after the local elections and reflecting the combined political composition of the local authorities in LGA membership. The political groups then use their respective methods of selection to populate the seats apportioned to them in time for the start of the new political year on 1 September. You can find out more about your LGA Executive colleagues and representatives for 2015/16 on these pages, and by visiting www.local.gov.uk/governance

October 2015 first feature | 15

Cllr Paul Carter CBE (Con, Kent) is Chairman of the County Councils Network and Leader of Kent County Council. paul.carter-leader@kent.gov.uk

Cllr Neil Clarke MBE (Con, Rushcliffe) is Chairman of the District Councils’ Network and has been Leader of Rushcliffe Borough Council since 2005.

cllr.nclarke@rushcliffe.gov.uk

Cllr Mark Hawthorne MBE (Con, Gloucestershire) is Chairman of the LGA’s People and Places Board, Leader of Gloucestershire County

Council, and was previously Gloucester City Council’s youngest leader. mark.hawthorne@gloucestershire.gov.uk

Cllr Roy Perry (Con, Hampshire) is Chairman of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, Leader of Hampshire County Council,

and a former Leader of Test Valley Borough Council. roy.perry@hants.gov.uk

Cllr Izzi Seccombe (Con, Warwickshire) is the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Portfolio Holder and became the first female Leader of

Warwickshire County Council in 2013. isobelseccombe@warwickshire.gov.uk

Cllr Simon Blackburn (Lab, Blackpool) is Chair of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board and Leader of Blackpool Council.

cllr.simon.blackburn@blackpool.gov.uk

Cllr Peter Box CBE (Lab, Wakefield) is Chair of the LGA’s Environment, Economy, Housing and Transport Board and has been Leader of

Wakefield Metropolitan Borough Council since 1998. pbox@wakefield.gov.uk

Cllr Claire Kober OBE (Lab, Haringey) is the LGA’s Resources Portfolio Holder. She was elected to Haringey Council in 2006 and became its Leader

in 2008. claire.kober@haringey.gov.uk

Cllr Sir Richard Leese CBE (Lab, Manchester) is Chair of the LGA’s City Regions Board, Leader of Manchester City Council, and Deputy Leader

of the Greater Manchester Combined Authority. r.leese@manchester.gov.uk

Cllr Bob Dutton OBE (Ind, Wrexham) is a Balancing Member on the LGA’s Executive and the Lead Member for Corporate Services at Wrexham

County Borough Council. bob.dutton@wrexham.gov.uk

Cllr Ian Stephens (Ind, Isle of Wight) is Chair of the LGA’s Culture, Tourism and Sport Board and a former Leader of the Isle of Wight

Council, to which he was first elected in 2001. ian.stephens@iow.gov.uk

Cllr Chris White (Lib Dem, Hertfordshire) is a Balancing Member on the LGA’s Executive, Deputy Leader of the LGA’s Liberal Democrat

Group, and Lib Dem Leader on St Albans City and District Council. chris.white.stalbans@gmail.com

board chairs, portfolio holders and other executive members

Sir Stephen Houghton CBE (Lab, Barnsley) is Leader of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council and Chair of the LGA’s Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities (SIGOMA).

cllrstephenhoughton@barnsley.gov.uk

Alderman Sir David Wootton (Ind, City of London) is Chairman of Local Partnerships and a member of the City of London Corporation. David.wootton@cityoflondon.gov.uk

regional and welsh

Cllr Jason Ablewhite (Con, Huntingdonshire) is Executive Leader of Huntingdonshire District Council and Chairman of the East of England LGA.

jason.ablewhite@huntingdonshire.gov.uk

Cllr John Hart (Con, Devon) has been Leader of Devon County Council since 2009 and is Chair of South West Councils. john.hart@devon.gov.uk

Cllr Nicolas Heslop (Con, Tonbridge & Malling) is Chairman of South East England Councils and Leader of Tonbridge & Malling District Council. nicolas.heslop@tmbc.gov.uk

Cllr Martin Hill OBE (Con, Lincolnshire) became Leader of Lincolnshire County Council in 2005. He is Vice-Chair of East Midlands Councils.

cllrm.hill@lincolnshire.gov.uk

Cllr Stephen Parnaby OBE (Con, East Riding) represents Yorkshire and Humber on the LGA’s Executive and is the Leader of East Riding of Yorkshire Council.

councillor.parnaby@eastriding.gov.uk

Cllr Barrie Grunewald (Lab, St. Helens) represents the North West on the LGA’s Executive and is Leader of St. Helens Council. Cllrbgrunewald-leader@sthelens.gov.uk

Cllr Roger Lawrence (Lab, Wolverhampton) is Leader of Wolverhampton City Council and represents the West Midlands on the LGA’s Executive.

roger.lawrence@wolverhampton.gov.uk

Mayor Jules Pipe CBE (Lab, Hackney) is Chair of London Councils and has been Hackney’s elected Mayor since 2002. mayor@hackney.gov.uk

Cllr Aaron Shotton (Lab, Flintshire) is Leader of Flintshire County Council and the Welsh LGA’s Spokesperson for Finance and Resources. aaron.shotton@flintshire.gov.uk

Cllr Paul Watson (Lab, Sunderland) is Chair of the Association of North East Councils and has been Leader of Sunderland City Council since 2008. cllr.paul.watson@sunderland.gov.uk

non-voting members

16 | first interview www.local.gov.uk

Tim Farron is adamant his political grounding as a local councillor will stop him from ever becoming an “out of touch” politician.

The 45-year-old, who was elected Liberal Democrat Leader in July, took his first steps into politics when he was elected to Lancashire County Council in 1993. He went on to serve on South Ribble Borough Council and South Lakeland District Council before standing down from local politics in 2008 to focus on his responsibilities as MP for Westmorland and Lonsdale.

Farron said his background allows him to share a “sympathy, solidarity and determination” with councillors to protect local government and raise awareness of the value of its services in Westminster.

“I am hugely critical of anyone who thinks being a councillor or winning a council seat is just a stepping stone to a general election,” he told first. “I think that is a disgrace because you can achieve at least as much as a councillor at times than you can as a backbench MP. I am absolutely committed to a community politics, local government approach because it is how you can actually make a difference.

“My background means I truly value local government and understand what it means to be a councillor. It has made me understand the need to work with other people and to be fairly anti-tribal.

“The danger is that people get to

Westminster, and they rather like the surroundings, and they very quickly become utterly out of touch with what anybody normal thinks. It can be easy for MPs to be patronising to people in local government and think themselves better and I never do that.

“You must remain in touch with people on the ground in a real way otherwise you just end up becoming ‘one of them’ and I am determined never to become ‘one of them’.”

The sheer size and scale of the task of rebuilding the Lib Dems is significant. In May’s General Election they lost 15 per cent of the vote share achieved in 2010 and 49 MPs. This national result was repeated locally with 411 councillors losing their seats and the party losing control of four councils.

Some glimmers of hope emerged this summer in the form of gaining three Lib Dem councillors and holding onto three others in local by-elections, and an upsurge in party membership.

“I think some of the dust is still settling,” Farron said. “The devastating result was a huge blow to the party and to us all on an individual basis.

“Almost immediately, what tempered that gloom was the incredible upsurge in party membership which increased by about a third, which reignited a great sense that Britain desperately needs a liberal movement to survive.

“Our local council by-election results since 7 May have been very good and better than anybody else’s. The evidence is there that

people are ready to listen to us again and the party is in an incredibly good mood.

“I think there is a real sense that we have had shocking luck over the last few years – some of it of our own making. What is happening in the other two main parties at the moment means there is an opportunity, in local government and nationally, to be the progressive, sensible but radical party that the country needs.”

All eyes within local government are now on November’s Spending Review. The LGA’s submission to the Treasury has warned that, even before expected spending reductions, demand pressures, inflation, government policies and other factors will cost councils £10 billion in 2019/20 alone.

For next month’s Spending Review decisions to be sustainable for councils, the LGA has said it is important for the Government to be aware of the scale of these future pressures and fully fund new burdens for local authorities.

Speaking before the Lib Dems’ annual conference, Farron was equally alarmed about the spending pressures facing councils and the prospect of further cuts looming on the horizon.

He said: “Local government has always been in a position where it has had to complain about its treatment from central government but it is now under calamitous threat because of the funding situation.

“We have to work very hard with local government and the many Conservative

interview

Liberal Democrat Leader Tim Farron talks to first about rebuilding his party from the grassroots and why it will fight for local government in the Spending Review

Community politics

October 2015 first interview | 17

councillors who put their communities ahead of their party. They are going to be very important actually going into Greg Clark and George Osborne and warning of the desperate situation local government is in after so many years of cuts.”

Councils share the Government’s vision for integrated care and health services but the LGA’s Spending Review submission insists that, in order for social care and health to achieve this aim, the £700 million annual funding gap in social care services must be addressed.

Beveridge, when he was writing his report, lived in a society where people were living so much longer, that adult social care would have been part of the NHS.

“To do that now would be hugely expensive. It doesn’t mean we shouldn’t consider doing it but the most sensible thing to do is to make sure we join up commissioning completely.

“The solution has to be radical if we are going to remain decent, if people will get an equal right to decent care from cradle

If adult social care is put on a sustainable foundation, integration of care and health can become more ambitious, shifting from crisis management to prevention and early intervention, and supporting a shift in demand from acute care to primary and community care alongside social care.

Farron has challenged the country’s other political leaders to put aside their political differences and prioritise finding an urgent solution to fix the adult social care crisis.

“We need a new deal for social care,” he said. “I am convinced that if William

“I am hugely critical of anyone who thinks being a councillor is just a stepping stone to a general election”

18 | first interview www.local.gov.uk

to grave. That means the political parties working together.

“What has disappointed me in the past is that others have walked away. This is not a moment for point scoring, it is a moment for us to get together and build a social care system which has the confidence of the public, is integrated with the NHS and which means all of us can look forward to old age with confidence and not fear.”

In August, Farron identified seven campaigning priorities for the Liberal Democrats. These were rural affairs, the EU referendum, mental health, immigration, civil liberties, the green economy, and an issue he is clearly passionate about – housing.

He said: “I think the biggest domestic crisis we face is the housing crisis and local authorities have a key part to play in all of that. The housing crisis can only be solved if local authorities are given the power to do things, such as suspend the extension of Right to Buy and be involved actively in the building of new houses.

“I remember talking to a very senior Conservative minister of the Thatcher era from a rural area who said that he felt the selling off of council houses in the 1980s was the biggest single error that government made and the impact on our communities as a whole has been utterly damaging.

“The selling off of affordable housing is an atrocious idea and it is important that councillors of all parties explain just how massively damaging this will be for our communities.”

An IPPR report published last month proposed proportional representation for

local authority elections in England and Wales, bringing them into line with Scotland and Northern Ireland.

It said this was vital to end ‘one-party state’ control in some local authorities and counter the “number of councillors elected out of kilter with their actual share of the vote”.

A staunch advocate for electoral reform, Farron is convinced that proportional representation in English elections would improve both national and local democracy.

He said: “It has made a massive difference to local government in Scotland. It has ended the one-party states and ensured cooperation, scrutiny, democracy, efficiency and accountability, and I am convinced the same thing would happen in England and Wales if that system was brought in.

“The current system excludes so many people in so many different parts of the country just because you have a one-party state and that needs to be addressed.

“Electoral reform is really important for the country because it gives every vote equal weight. It is also about making government, local and national, better.

“One of the things that moderate Conservative and Labour tend to feel is that compromise and consensus are good things and electoral reform is something which ensures compromise and consensus.

“I hope, as we move into a new world where I see the Labour party lurching very far to the left and the Conservative party splitting over Europe, that [there will be] opportunities for all of us in the Liberal centre ground of politics to work together to make sure electoral reform does happen.”

“We need a new deal for social care. If Beveridge had lived in a society where people were living so much longer, adult social care would have been part of the NHS”

• local solutions to national problems • cross party • on-the-day responses • Parliamentary Bulletin • politically-led • monitor legislation • Select Committees • Smith Square debates • complex issues • local solutions to national problems • cross party • on-the-day responses • Parliamentary Bulletin • politically-led • monitor legislation • Select Committees • Smith Square debates • complex issues • local solutions to national problems • cross party • on-the-day responses • Parliamentary Bulletin • politically-led • monitor legislation • Select Committees • Smith Square debates • complex issues • local solutions to national problems • cross party • on-the-day responses • Parliamentary Bulletin • politically-led • monitor legislation • Select Committees • Smith Square debates • complex issues • local solutions to national problems • cross party • on-the-day responses • Parliamentary Bulletin • politically-led • monitor legislation • Select Committees • Smith Square debates • complex issues • local solutions to national problems • cross party • on-the-day responses • Parliamentary Bulletin • politically-led • monitor legislation • Select Committees • Smith Square debates • complex issues • local solutions to national problems • cross party • on-the-day responses • Parliamentary Bulletin • politically-led • monitor legislation • Select Committees • Smith Square debates • complex issues • local solutions to national problems • cross party • on-the-day responses • Parliamentary Bulletin • politically-led • monitor legislation • Select Committees • Smith Square debates • complex issues • local solutions to national problems • cross party • on-the-day responses • Parliamentary Bulletin • politically-led • monitor legislation • Select Committees • Smith Square debates • complex issues • local solutions to national problems • cross party • on-the-day responses • Parliamentary Bulletin • politically-led • monitor legislation • Select Committees • Smith Square debates • complex issues • local solutions to national problems • cross party • on-the-day responses • Parliamentary Bulletin • politically-led • monitor legislation • Select Committees • Smith Square debates • complex issues • local solutions to national problems • cross party • on-the-day responses • Parliamentary Bulletin • politically-led • monitor legislation •

The national voice of local government

THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT EVENT OF THE YEAR

Annual Conference and Exhibition 2016

5-7 July 2016 Bournemouth International Centre

To book your place visit: www.local.gov.uk/events

Hot topics this year include the Spending Review and future funding, devolution and city deals, further reductions to authorities’ public health grant, right to buy, counter-extremism, and key addresses on the future of local government from LGA Chairman Cllr Gary Porter and new LGA Chief Executive Mark Lloyd.

The highlight will be a discussion panel session on devolution with Caroline Lucas MP, Douglas Carswell MP, Gloucestershire Police and Crime Commissioner Martin Surl and Cllr Julian German, Cornwall Council Cabinet Member, chaired by Professor Colin Copus.

This is a free event for LGA Members. Visit www.local.gov.uk/web/lgaindependent for full programme details and to register your attendance. For other queries, please contact vanessa.chagas@local.gov.uk / 020 7664 3224.

LGA INDEPENDENT GROUP ANNUAL CONFERENCE 2015

16 NOVEMBER, LONDON

Independent Group members are invited to attend our annual conference on Monday 16 November, at Local Government House, Smith Square, London SW1P 3HZ. Registration is from 10am.

www.local.gov.uk20 | first adverts

October 2015 first comment | 21

commentPartnership working key to child protection

After relentless campaigning by charities and individuals, female genital mutilation (FGM) in the UK is now considered serious child abuse.

At the moment, localised or city-wide responses to FGM fail to address systemic weaknesses, meaning that change is often not sustainable as communities shift and professionals change.

As part of the national response against FGM, Barnardo’s is setting up the UK’s first National FGM Centre in partnership with the LGA and funded by the Department for Education’s Innovation Fund. The national, multi-agency approach of the centre will coordinate more consistent action in the UK. The aim is to eradicate new cases of FGM once and for all.

The centre will stand on four main pillars of work: preventing new cases by changing attitudes in communities affected by FGM; protecting girls and women through proactive safeguarding; supporting those who have been affected; and partnering with other agencies to bring together experience and deliver successful solutions.

Partnership working is at the core of the centre’s work, as is gathering and sharing learning widely. Barnardo’s and the LGA are working closely with public health, education, the police, local authorities and the voluntary sector to create a multi-agency framework. To effectively tackle FGM, all agencies across the country need to break out of their silos and work together, interdependently.

The importance of partnership work is extremely clear in other areas of work.

Councils will be acutely aware of the grooming scandals in Rotherham, Rochdale, Oxford and elsewhere across the UK that shocked the nation. Children being exploited for sex, in such huge numbers, quite rightly caused public outcry.

Much has been learned from the horrific experiences of the young victims. There are many factors at play, including outdated and inappropriate attitudes to victims, but disentangling what went wrong has uncovered that various agencies working with children, were not as ‘joined-up’ as they should have been. This is, sadly, unsurprising.

We all know child protection issues, such as child abuse or sexual exploitation, require the united effort of health and education professionals, police forces, local authorities and voluntary organisations. Yet the failure to make this a reality is a recurring theme that sits behind these horrendous cases.

Partnership working isn’t just about statutory agencies though. Third sector organisations can play a key role too.

Barnardo’s worked with more than 3,000 sexually exploited or at risk children across the UK last year. Our project workers have seen first-hand the devastating impact this crime has on victims. As well as the ability to develop relationships with children in a way that statutory agencies often can’t, we act as advocates for them, helping to navigate the

complex, myriad services and professionals that make up multi-agency arrangements. Vitally, we work closely with our local partners to provide information and expertise to shape not only the response to individual cases, but at a strategic level too.

Of course, the child protection system itself can never ensure all children are kept safe all of the time. But too many children have been let down. Only by joining-up agencies, both statutory and voluntary, and working in innovative ways, can we seek to avoid past mistakes being repeated.

We’re not saying it’s easy. We know it’s not. But we stand ready to work with councils and other partners to find solutions and make the future brighter for children at risk of abuse.

Javed Khanis Chief Executive of Barnardo’s

Javed Khan is speaking on child sexual exploitation at the National Children and Adult Services Conference in Bournemouth, taking place from 14 to 16 October. To book your place visit www.local.gov.uk/events

“The aim is to eradicate new cases of FGM once and for all”

22 | first comment www.local.gov.uk

Parliament is back and in full swing, and this month the LGA will be focused

squarely on promoting our Spending Review submission to the Treasury.

We will be taking every opportunity to plug the research we have undertaken which shows existing and additional cost pressures on councils will amount to £10 billion by 2020. If these cost burdens go unfunded, the great concern to councils is that the services residents need and rely on will not just be scaled back, they are at risk of being lost altogether.

The Spending Review offers the

Chancellor the opportunity to forge a new relationship between central and local government, and start it on the right foot. Together, we can care for the elderly, create thousands of school places, and pick up the bins; we can do all the things our residents care most about, but only if councils aren’t made to foot the bill for new policies while withstanding fresh spending reductions.

Our submission puts forward radical reform of how public money should be raised and spent, and until the Government makes its spending intentions clear on 25 November, the LGA will continue to drive home our case.

As many of you may have seen by now, I am honoured to have been asked by the Prime

Minister to take a seat in the House of Lords alongside three other local leaders; Cllr Elizabeth Redfern (North Lincolnshire), Cllr Jane Scott OBE (Wiltshire), and Mayor Dorothy Thornhill MBE (Watford). I’m obviously pleased and proud from a personal perspective, but what this peerage really represents is the hard work and dedication of the thousands of local councillors, working tirelessly on behalf of their residents.

This honour is recognition of everything councillors and the LGA do, so whether it’s as Lord or local councillor for South Holland, I’m still just Gary to all of you.

“If these cost burdens go unfunded, services are at risk of being lost altogether”

Counting the cost of additional pressures on councils

chairman’s comment

In a compassionate world, it is decent and humane for the international community

to resolve the suffering we are seeing during the current refugee crisis.

The images shown in our media are heart breaking and this has focused the public’s attention on an issue councils have been grappling with often unnoticed.

Local authorities have a good track record of supporting those seeking refuge and councils up and down the country stand by to work in partnership with central government to resolve the current crisis but, as said previously, this needs to be a partnership of equals.

The Government’s response so far to the crisis has not been good enough. It has been indecisive and reticent. We can and must do more to help vulnerable and suffering refugees.

The Government must fix what is currently an unequitable and underfunded system that punishes those seeking asylum, their new communities and their councils.

Just as the UK should take its fair share of refugees in the world, so must every region of the country. The Home Office and Serco have presided over a system which has led to large concentrations of asylum seekers in some areas with other places failing to accommodate any.

Some towns and cities now accommodate more asylum seekers than whole regions in the country.

The Government’s U-turn on the current refugee crisis is welcome as Britain must play its part, but the Government must also support refugees properly and their new communities.

It is clear that both local and national government must be prepared to play its

part alongside other authorities to give safe refuge to those who need it.

“The Government must fix an unequitable and underfunded system that punishes those seeking asylum and their councils”

Funding needs fixing to help asylum seekers

Cllr Jim McMahon OBEis Leader of the LGA’s Labour Group

group leaders’ comments

Cllr Gary Porter is Chairman of the LGA

October 2015 first comment | 23

We cannot turn our backs on the heart-breaking pictures of a child drowned

struggling to escape from a war zone. Quite different is the struggle to stem

the flow of economic migrants, leaving their own countries short and requiring support from our public services.

However you view the issues of immigration, councils are under pressure but ready with boots on the ground and, once funded, can deliver at a faster rate than central government.

The challenges councils currently face are well described in the LGA’s latest document, A Shared Commitment. We have increasing needs that cannot be met from public funds, as government continues to reduce the core funding spent locally, leaving a £9.5 billion shortfall by 2020.

If we are to provide a better future for our adults and children, with health and care, skills, libraries, roads and jobs, then we need the tools to do the job. Rolling out devolution of power and money widely to local authorities, like the Manchester and Cornwall deals, will enable us to work in partnership with central government to serve our residents better for less money.

Thus our Independent Group conference on 16 November focuses on the future and how we can change it or adapt. We have a number of events, think tanks and two working groups on a fairer democratic system and on planning – see www.local.gov.uk/web/lgaindependent.

Cllr David Hodge is Leader of the LGA’s Conservative Group

Cllr Marianne Overton is Leader of the LGA’s Independent Group

Cllr Gerald Vernon-Jackson is Leader of the LGA’s Liberal Democrat Group

Closer to local communities

Councils performing under pressure

Adult social care – is there an answer?

Conservative councillors will arrive in Manchester for our party conference

in very good heart. For the first time in 19 years, we will be meeting with a majority Conservative government and following outstanding local government results in May, which saw us gain 541 extra councillors, take control of an additional 32 councils and reclaim the chairmanship of the LGA.

Conference provides the ideal opportunity to review the past political year and look forward to the new one. It has certainly been an eventful 12 months, with both the General Election and the Scottish independence referendum resulting in profound changes to the way that we are governed.

The independence debate and the Government’s confirmation following the ‘no’ vote that significant further powers would be devolved to the Scottish Parliament have stimulated a debate elsewhere in the UK about how we too can bring decision-making closer to local communities.

With moves towards combined authorities and the Government making clear its ambition for major powers to be devolved to local areas, this is an exciting time to be involved in local government. I look forward to discussing these and other issues with colleagues during what is sure to be a busy week in Manchester.

For most councils with responsibility for social care services, life is becoming increasingly

bleak. Since 2010, the number of residents in need of such services has continued to rise.

As the LGA has pointed out in its Spending Review submission, there is already a social care funding gap of £700 million a year. And as I write, I see in the headlines that patients waiting to be discharged from hospital beds are now at record levels, with some waiting over 100 days. These funding pressures will get worse if councils are forced to cut budgets further.

The LGA has rightly been warning about the crisis in social care for years. And what has the Government done about it? As we are pointing out in an emergency motion we are hoping the Lib Dem conference will be debating this month on the care funding crisis, the Chancellor announced no extra funding whatsoever for social care.

If 50 per cent of a council’s budget goes on social services and government grants are cut by 40 per cent, social services will have to take a cut.

So what will the outcome of the Government’s Spending Review be? It will be more expensive emergency admissions to hospital and fewer support services for residents from much cheaper social care services. Does anyone in government spot this? It seems not.

“We will be meeting with a majority Conservative government and following outstanding local government results”

“We have increasing needs that cannot be met from public funds”

“The Chancellor announced no extra funding whatsoever for social care”

group leaders’ comments

For more information about the LGA’s political groups, see www.local.gov.uk

24 | first comment www.local.gov.uk

Cllr Peter Thornton (Lib Dem) is Leader of South Lakeland District Council

I was four years old and we were living with my grandparents. My younger brother had just arrived and it was becoming crowded.

I can see Dad now, opening the morning mail and telling us that we’d been allocated a newly-built council house. I didn’t know what it meant then but soon found out.

We had three bedrooms, a garden and space to live. Every week, there was a knock at the door and there stood the ‘rent man’ from the council. We were paying our way and everyone seemed happy.

Local builders offered new homes at a price designed to tempt us out of our council house and builders, landowners and developers knew their offerings had to be ‘affordable’.

Looking back, it was a golden age and it lasted until I left home and bought a home of my own.

The lives of more than 1,165 families in West Sussex have been turned around in the past three years thanks to our ground-breaking Think Family partnership.

Think Family draws together a range of organisations such as social services, health professionals, schools, district and borough councils, the police and housing to work together with a family and early help services to address problems such as anti-social behaviour, unemployment, poor school attendance and domestic violence.

The partnership has a dedicated family keyworker service, which is based on the principle of intensive keyworker interventions over a number of months, directed toward the

How on earth did we get from this to our current situation? How and why have we moved backwards to end up with ‘generation (high) rent’

It’s not actually that complicated. We have shrunk the council and social housing sector to a level where it is no longer a significant influencer of the overall market.

We have restricted land supply and choked off supply while stoking demand.

It’s not surprising that we end up with

an overpriced housing market. It would be astonishing if we had not.

We are beginning to see a freeing up of land, but must keep on the pressure to do more. What we need now is a rebuilding of the social housing sector. Totally against the philosophy of this government of course, but perhaps they might like to remember the name of the housing minister who oversaw the building programme that led to my family being housed back in 1955?

It was, of course, Harold Macmillan.

How to tackle overpriced housing

Think family, think neighbourhoods

Cllr Peter Evans (Con) is Cabinet Member for Children – Start of Life at West Sussex County Council

whole family, so that trust is built through a single professional relationship.

Fundamental to the success of the Think Family partnership is the determination to address the causes of problems that families face, rather than merely the symptoms. That’s why our interventions are aimed at helping families make real changes that they can maintain, putting family members once again in charge of their own destiny.

This builds self-respect, self-confidence, and sows the seeds of future success, especially for children, and we make a commitment to not pull out from a family until we are sure they can stand on their own feet.

We have created Think Family Neighbourhoods varying in size from two streets to an entire neighbourhood. These

localities are agreed with district council partners and identified where known child poverty and deprivation factors are present. These areas are targeted with projects which support the work with individual families, to promote neighbourhood pride, community cohesion and build skills for work and living.

We know we have lots more work to do. One of the things we have learned is how important it is for different agencies to work together and to remember that we are all dealing with the same family. Among the things we would now consider is involving families in designing services earlier.

What started off as our version of the Government’s Troubled Families initiative has now evolved into something even bigger, and the approach is going from strength to strength.

“Our interventions are aimed at helping families make real changes that they can maintain”

Karen can you add text to make info boxes 2 lines?

Recently completed affordable housing in South Lakeland, where the council is enabling the construction of 1,000 new affordable homes for rent by 2025

October 2015 first comment | 25

‘Making your council a commercial reality’, a new LGA conference, takes place in London on 5 November. See www.local.gov.uk/events for more information

Since the early 1980s and the stringencies of the Thatcher government, there has been an erosion in the confidence of local government to take bold decisions.

The accepted currency was that local government was inefficient, and that in most areas of service delivery the private sector was more effective. The Blair government did little to change that mindset.

It is therefore somewhat ironic that it has taken a period of further austerity to re-awaken confidence in the form of the commercial approach which many councils have now adopted.

There are three main reasons. First, the cuts are so severe that bringing in more income is one of the few remaining ways of preserving at least some jobs and services. Second, interest rates are so low that it makes far more sense to invest in a commercial venture than to lend to banks. Third, is the realisation that in terms of staff morale, commercialism is a very sound antidote to the depressing experience of a constant cutting of services.

In Nottingham, we define commercialism in three ways. First, sales of goods and services to the public and other organisations in such a way as to make a rate of return on investment.

Commercialism: not just an antidote to cuts

Cllr Graham Chapman (Lab) is Deputy Leader of Nottingham City Council

Car parking is the obvious contender (we reduced our charges to increase turnover), but we are also selling district heating to the private sector and we have launched an energy company to sell directly to the public. Via our ice arena we do the merchandising for O2 and a number of other arenas; we receive dividends from our bus company; and our theatre is making a surplus. We are collecting business waste in other authorities and provide vehicle maintenance for the fire service.

The second form is bringing services back in-house. We are bringing property maintenance back in and expect to recycle the profits. Our in-house caterers have doubled turnover at the civic offices since they ‘municipalised’ the restaurant and are now looking at further opportunities.

The third version is to make those areas which have to be subsidised more efficient. We have concentrated on adult care and those sectors where the market is weak and overcharging, but also areas such as park development with a systematic approach to sourcing external funding.

However, a commercial approach needs to be both nurtured and sustained and therefore requires infrastructure. The key elements are:• a central investment fund which expects a

fixed rate of return to provide the necessary discipline

• an incentive scheme which allows some profit retention for further service development

• flexibility in workforce conditions sufficient to provide decent wages and pensions but also to allow the service to compete, for example flat rate working

• accounting systems which understand cost calculations, can track genuine profit and do not overburden the service with artificially apportioned overheads

• a director of commercialism who is well supported, part of the management team and has a corporate overview, responsibility and clout

• dedicated legal support• marketing support which understands

marketing as opposed to product promotion.

So, we must celebrate the success but also be aware of the dangers. The greatest is allowing the commercial division to forget its corporate function and to create a life of its own with its independent costs, systems and culture.

I personally do not believe in providing individual financial incentives. What has been interesting is how much officers have responded not to any personal gain but to the simple incentive of preventing cuts to services, to improving those services, and to saving their colleagues’ jobs.

After all, that is what public servants are about and why most people join local government, and that is what our commercial approach has brought to the fore.

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October 2015 first comment | 27

Cllr Bob Standley (Con) is Leader of Wealden District Council

Like all local authorities, Wealden District Council has had to make significant cost savings and our transformation programme has reduced overheads by 25 per cent. Part of this programme has been to make savings in procurement while also changing where we spend our resources.

Last year over 40 per cent of Wealden’s spending on goods and services was with small and medium-sized companies (SMEs). That far exceeds the Government’s own target of 25 per cent. Of that £8.5 million, £2.7 million

has been with small businesses within Wealden. Their competitive edge is helping to put money back into the communities we serve.

We still own our council houses, so we need to ensure they are well maintained and through our contractors we indirectly employ locksmiths, glaziers, electricians, cleaners and plumbing services.

It’s vital we get the best deal for the taxpayer. We do that by working together. The East Sussex Procurement Hub uses the combined buying power of Wealden, Hastings, Rother, Eastbourne and Lewes Councils to achieve savings we couldn’t have hoped for as an individual council. Since its launch in 2010, the hub has achieved savings and revenue in the region of £11 million for these authorities.

The hub is a significant purchaser but has been careful to make sure this does not

become a barrier to small and medium-sized businesses. Some 88 per cent of businesses in Wealden employ less than 10 people, and they are well placed to provide value-for-money services.

Our tender documents are well advertised and easy to read. We work with the Federation of Small Businesses to hold regular ‘Understand the Buyer’ events. These are attended by 100 prospective customers who learn how the process works and ask questions.

To further assist SMEs this summer, Wealden District Council, working with Eastbourne and District Enterprise Agency (EDEAL) and the Let’s Do Business Group, launched a small business loan scheme to help finance expanding local microbusinesses.

Our procurement policies are good for local businesses and give value for money to our taxpayers.

Supporting small businesses by spending locally

Reviewing trading standards services

Cllr Simon Blackburn is Chair of the LGA’s Safer and Stronger Communities Board

The LGA has launched a short review looking at the future of trading standards services. The review follows on from our ‘Remodelling public protection’ report, which sets out the significant challenges facing regulatory services following cuts to local government funding.

Trading standards have a wide and ever expanding range of responsibilities, and areas of focus can vary dramatically from one council to another. These vary from traditional responsibilities such as metrology and animal health to very modern challenges such as tackling e-crime and ensuring product and food safety in an era of mass imports and global supply chains.

Following concern about the impact of cuts on trading standards, the Chartered Trading Standards Institute has called for the creation of strategic trading standards authorities that are bigger than current council teams and funded directly from central government. Government has also launched its own review of trading standards services.

Our review aims to provide a critical perspective missing from the debate so far

– what do local people and elected members want and need from trading standards? Workshops bringing together councillors, chief executives, directors and senior trading standards professionals later this month will examine current trading standards activities and consider local government’s future expectations and requirements for the service in the context of further funding cuts.

My own view is that trading standards works best when closely integrated with other council services including environmental and public health, licensing, and community safety, as well as with partner agencies such as the police, fire and rescue and DWP. I believe that we need locally-led services able to respond to local priorities which will inevitably differ from place to place.

But it is important that we hear from as many councils as possible, so we can develop a representative position to use in our discussions with government in the coming months. Please email ellie.greenwood@local.gov.uk (020 7664 3219) to let us know your views.

It is almost five months since the landmark Tower Hamlets Election Court which

disqualified the former Executive Mayor of Tower Hamlets and his agent from office on seven grounds of corruption.

One problem that arose continuously during his administration was Lutfur Rahman’s ability to stretch the law to the limit to avoid any kind of scrutiny. A simple council resolution to request the mayor, who had retained all executive decision making to himself, to answer questions publicly at council meetings was brushed aside with members informed that there were human rights issues!

Similar excuses were given to excuse his non-appearances at overview and scrutiny and the exclusion of elected councillors to oversee ward budgets in the run-up to the last elections.

Localism is an opportunity to bring transparency to local decision making. Research on council websites has shown us how this is being embraced by a range of authorities and since the mayoral by-election the council is now working to open up the previously closed doors of the council.

Neither those who drafted the mayoral legislation nor the parliamentarians who passed it could have anticipated a Lutfur Rahman-type

28 | first letters www.local.gov.uk

Devolution is not just about economics – it’s about people, place, community

and belonging.From the Yorkshire dialect to cricket, the

Tour de Yorkshire, rugby league and the football rivalry across our region, Hull is Yorkshire and needs enabling to play its full role as an integral part of the region and the Northern Powerhouse.

That’s why I firmly believe that the greatest opportunities our city and region have are at a Greater Yorkshire scale, and that Hull can only realise the full benefits of devolution as a part of a much larger Greater Yorkshire Combined Authority or, at the very least, as a full member of the Leeds City Region Combined Authority.

Hull will be stronger as part of an appropriate combined authority within Yorkshire and, crucially, the combined authority will be stronger by including Hull. It is also important to make clear that we are committed to our continuing support of the Humber Local Enterprise Partnership, which we helped to establish and which has been extremely successful in delivering growth around the Humber Ports.

We must make sure that the Humber continues to prosper, but at the same time, we must ensure that Hull takes advantage of all the opportunities to attract investment and create jobs across our region.Cllr Stephen Brady (Lab), Leader, Hull City Council

letters

Taking our fair share of Syrian refugeesRecently I met with the Mayor of London, leaders of other Labour and Tory-led London boroughs and Home Office officials at City Hall. We all agreed that we must take our fair share of Syrian refugees. It is clear there is cross-party consensus in London that we must do all we can within the resources available to us to give refuge to people who are in such desperate need.

The context we start from is that legislation by successive governments has increasingly restricted local authorities’ ability to adopt any local measures to accommodate people who do not have refugee status or leave to remain. However, the Prime Minister’s statement indicating that the UK will be accepting thousands more Syrian refugees shows that the national position is changing, and we await more details about how we and other local authorities can play a role.

In Sutton we will work with landlords across the spectrum, both private and social, to identify what properties could be made available. We will also review the scope for bringing into use any non-residential properties. We are fortunate that this borough has a very active and compassionate community, and we will work closely with our local network of voluntary and community organisations. People are already stepping forward to raise funds and donate much needed clothing, food and toiletries.

This country has a long-held reputation for tolerance and compassion. We have welcomed refugees before – and greatly benefited from their arrival. Local councils across the country will rise to the challenge.Cllr Ruth Dombey (Lib Dem), Leader, London Borough of Sutton

What do you think? Please submit letters for publication by emailing first@local.gov.uk. Letters may be edited and published online

Devolved identities

Scrutiny and accountability

individual who abused the governance process until eventually hubris delivered him to overt corrupt and illegal practices.Cllr Peter Golds CBE (Con), London Borough of Tower Hamlets

October 2015 first letters | 29

Cllr Paul Church (Con, Westminster)“Good to see @LGANews calling for universal criminal record checks for pedicab/rickshaw operators. Currently no safety checks whatsoever.”www.twitter.com/pauljchurch

Cllr Iain Roberts (Lib Dem, Stockport)“Last week the Lib Dems called for a GM “oyster card” by Christmas and TfGM said no. Just a week later it’s a yes.”www.twitter.com/CllrIainRoberts

Cllr Darren Langton (Lab, Mansfield) “Upcoming Spending Review will pile an extra £10bn of pressure onto councils & local services, LGA analysis reveals. publicsectorexecutive.com/Public-Sector-…”www.twitter.com/CllrDLangton

Cllr Chris Hayward (Con, Hertfordshire)“Many congratulations Lord Porter @garyporterlga on your elevation to the Lords. Great for Local Government.” www.twitter.com/CountyCllrChris

Cllr Nick Small (Lab, Liverpool)“Good that @lpoolcouncil has agreed to start consultation on bringing in a Late Night Levy to improve policing the night time economy.”www.twitter.com/CllrNickSmall

Do you have a blog or a Twitter account we should be following? Let us know. Email first@local.gov.uk

sound bites

Putting people firstHave your say on town councils

This summer, principal councils have been busy working up devolution

proposals to submit to government that could dramatically change the way communities are governed. The local government landscape is shifting at pace and town and parish councils – England’s 9,000 ‘localist powerhouses’ and the closest tier to local people – will not be unaffected.

Towns and parishes are increasingly delivering more services to improve the social and economic vitality of their areas. One reason is changing local needs and priorities, the other is the harsh reality of austerity and decreasing resources at principal council level.

The silver lining is that parishes are able to provide ‘hyper local’ services cost effectively and hence can be part of the solution to the challenges the country faces.

The Improvement and Development Board for town and parish councils brings together the parish sector as well as the LGA and the Department for Communities and Local Government to provide a framework and initiatives to support continuous improvement. We fully recognise the pressures facing the wider local government sector, including how town and parish councils’ performance is affected by our partners at other tiers of government and vice versa.

To ensure local councils make the most of current and future opportunities, the board has begun work to develop a national improvement strategy for town and parish councils. And we would like to hear from you. If you visit www.nalc.gov.uk you will find information on our initial consultation.

Together we can ensure that our local communities are supported by strong, resilient and effective councils at all tiers of local government.Cllr Ken Browse (Ind), Chairman, National Association of Local Councils

All 67 councillors in Nottinghamshire, from across the political spectrum, have

been invited to take part in this year’s budget setting process from beginning to end.

It will be the first time in the council’s history that councillors outside the largest political group have been involved in the entire budget setting process. Previously, opposition councillors only got first sight of the plans when draft budget proposals went out for consultation.

However, the severity of the financial situation calls for an innovative approach to the setting of next year’s budget. After considering an initial approach from the Leader of the Opposition, we believe it would be in the best interests of everyone to set aside political differences and invite all other political groups to join us in coming up with a budget that is in the best interests of local people.

The need to work together has never been greater. Because of the tough decisions we have already taken, the amount we need to save is now £62 million – much lower than the £154 million shortfall we inherited in 2013 – but don’t be fooled, the more you cut the harder it becomes, and the challenges facing us now are more severe than they have ever been.

I know councillors from all political parties are concerned about the impact of further reductions. To protect services to the public, we’ve asked council employees to move to new ways of working, now it’s time for councillors to put political differences to one side and do the same.Cllr Alan Rhodes (Lab), Leader, Nottinghamshire County Council

Healthy conversations about what really matters This year, the Department of Health and our sector partners are proud to showcase ministers, senior policy colleagues, carers and service users across a range of plenary sessions, speeches and breakfast sessions at the National Children and Adult Services Conference. Join us to listen, discuss and debate:• The Care Act• Better mental health for all• Dementia care• Transforming care• Female genital mutilation• Social work – raising standards and prestige

There will be further opportunities to engage with senior colleagues and guest speakers during ‘drop in’ sessions in our lounge area throughout the conference. Come and join us for a chat, a coffee or a fruit smoothie!

Keep checking the DH Social Care News site: https://socialcare.blog.gov.uk/ and twitter for updates on all our sessions

www.local.gov.uk30 | first adverts

Labour’s performance in local council by-election results will be examined forensically over the coming weeks and months.

Jeremy Corbyn’s impressive victory was crafted by an extensive use of social media and his ability to enthuse at the hustings. His personal vote is built on strong support from among the party’s membership, the campaigners that take the party’s message to the voters. They will be among the first to feel the public response to Labour’s new leader and his style of doing politics.

They will certainly be hoping to avoid the disappointment of losing seats to the Conservatives as happened in Exeter’s Pinhoe ward. Labour’s defeat was by just six votes, with Cynthia Thompson returning to the council after losing her seat in 2012. The ward continues to be an ultra-marginal and is now represented by councillors of both persuasions.

Further west, the Conservatives celebrated another success but this time at the expense of UKIP, which captured the seat during its 2013 surge. Harry Blakely’s 21-vote majority made the seat vulnerable and his resignation on health grounds presented his party with a real challenge, especially if the Conservative vote held up. Indeed it did so, with successful candidate John Herd polling 319 votes, just six fewer than the party received previously. Support for UKIP evaporated, however, falling to just 89 votes, a 23 percentage point decline.

This defeat reflects the party’s wider struggle to preserve the support it built in local elections in the two years prior to the General Election, where it secured more than one in eight of votes cast.

Some local branches appear to be doing better than others, for example

UKIP’s share rose in Thurrock where the party’s hopes for a parliamentary seat were frustrated. In Tunbridge Wells too, there was a modest increase in vote share but setbacks elsewhere, including in Barnsley and Sandwell.

Variability in the capacity of local party organisations to fight and win council seats is something that the Liberal Democrats have experienced for a considerable time.

As the party attempts to rebuild its all-important ground-up power base following the 2015 disaster, it may take heart from James Gibson-Watt’s impressive performance in taking the Glasbury seat from the Conservatives on Powys council. The winning margin of just 40 votes on a turnout of 58 per cent suggests an intensely fought contest.

In West Oxfordshire’s Witney North ward, the Liberal Democrats also fought hard to embarrass the Conservatives in the Prime Minister’s own constituency.

It seems there are threats and opportunities for all parties in this unsettled electoral climate. If Labour is revitalised by its leadership contest and takes voters with it then it presents a real threat to the established order. On the other hand, if the experiment fails then the parties that take greatest advantage will be those with the healthiest local organisations.

elections

Professors Colin Rallings (right) and Michael Thrasher are Directors of Plymouth University’s Elections Centre

The disappointment of losing seats

See www.local.gov.uk/first for more by-election results

local by-elections

Barnsley, Dearne North

LAB HELD

57.9% over UKIP Turnout 14.7%

Caerphilly, Bedwas Trethomas & Machen

LAB HELD

23% over PC Turnout 28.1%

Caerphilly, Cross Keys

LAB HELD

25% over PC Turnout 28.5%

Cornwall, Camborne Pendarves

CON GAIN FROM UKIP

1.3% over Lib Dem Turnout 32.2%

Durham, Shotton & South Hetton

LAB HELD

33.6% over NEP Turnout 16.3%

Exeter, Pinhoe

CON GAIN FROM LAB

0.3% over Lab Turnout 34.7%

Maidstone, Fant

CON HELD

3% over Lib Dem Turnout 26.1%

Powys, Glasbury

LIB DEM GAIN FROM CON

4.1% over Con Turnout 58.2%

Sandwell, Blackheath

LAB HELD

20.8% over Con Turnout 21.8%

Thurrock, West Thurrock & South Stifford

LAB HELD

12.2% over UKIP Turnout 19.6%

Tunbridge Wells, Southborough North

CON HELD

4.4% over Lib Dem Turnout 34.2%

Warwickshire, Nuneaton Whitestone

CON HELD

35.4% over Lab Turnout 30.5%

West Oxfordshire, Witney North

CON HELD

8.1% over Lib Dem Turnout 24.1%

October 2015 first political | 31