LGA first magazine June 2017 by LGA publications

No.612 June 2017 www.local.gov.uk

the magazine for local government

Influencing a new government â&#x20AC;&#x153;The need for financial sustainability for councils is urgentâ&#x20AC;? Lord Porter, LGA Chairman

5 and 16 8

Local elections English, Welsh and mayoral results

Metro mayors New combined authority mayors

New councillors Help and guidance from the LGA

Gold sponsor

Anita Anand Broadcaster Lord Victor Adebowale CBE Chief Executive, Turning Point

Simon Stevens Chief Executive, NHS England

Gunn Marit Helgesen President, Norwegian Association of Local and Regional Authorities (KS)

Stella Duffy OBE Author and Co-Director, Fun Palaces

Tony Pidgley CBE Chairman, Berkeley Group

For further information and to book your place please visit www.local.gov.uk/conference @LGAcomms #LGAconf17

THE LOCAL GOVERNMENT EVENT OF THE YEAR

Progression in loc

Welcome!

ongratulations if you have just been elected as a councillor in England and Wales. And welcome to first, the LGA’s monthly membership magazine, which is designed to keep you informed of the work we do on your behalf. first is your magazine, and we want to know what you want to read about. So please email karen.thornton@local.gov.uk with your letters and ideas for articles. This month’s edition includes an analysis of the local election results from Professors Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher of Plymouth University’s Elections Centre (p8), and profiles the inaugural metro mayors elected in six combined authority areas – a real milestone for local government (p10). We also set out the LGA’s 10-point plan for what councils would like to see from the new government (see p5 and p16). Our four political groups also offer their take on the party manifestos (p22). Elsewhere in the magazine, you can find out about the LGA’s ‘Councillor’s Guide 2017’, a handy source of information and advice on the sector, your role, and the help available from the LGA (p26); and Next Generation, our programme for councillors aspiring to political leadership (p14). Lord Porter is Chairman of the LGA

contents 43% news

4 Funding for children

HIV services

of women councillors say they are held back by about their 5assumptions Proposals for a new government gender. Broadband speeds

LGA political balance

comment

Design & print TU ink www.tuink.co.uk

19 Women in local

Advertising CPL, john.wheaton@cpl.co.uk

government 20 LGA chairman and group leaders 22 Group leaders on the manifestos 24 Supporting volunteering

Email first@local.gov.uk Tel editorial 020 7664 3294 Tel advertising 01223 378042 Photography Photofusion, Dreamstime and Ingimage unless otherwise stated Circulation 18,300 (May 2017) first is published online at www.local.gov.uk/first at least two days before the magazine. 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.

June 2017

www.fawcettsociety.org.uk/become-m

Editor Karen Thornton

Write to first: Local Government Association Layden House, 76-86 Turnmill Street London EC1M 5LG

features

regulars

8 Local and mayoral

7 Letters and

election results 10 Metro mayors 12 Internal communications 13 Smoking ban – 10 years on 14 Political leadership 16 Influencing the next government

sound bites

25 Parliament – select

committee reports 26 Councillor – guidance for the newly elected

first contents | 3

news ‘Close £2bn funding gap in children’s services’ The LGA is calling on all political parties to commit to the life chances of children and young people by acting urgently to address the increasing funding gap in children’s services. Ahead of the General Election, new analysis by the LGA has revealed that children’s services are rapidly becoming unsustainable, with a £2 billion funding gap expected by 2020. Councils have faced an unprecedented surge in demand for support over recent years. More than 170,000 children were subject to child protection enquiries in 2015/16, compared to 71,800 in 2005/06 – a 140 per cent increase in just 10 years. The number of children on formal child protection plans increased by almost 24,000 over the same period. Early intervention work with children and their families has long been recognised as a way of limiting the need for intensive support later down the line, and councils

have worked hard to protect local funding for services that help families before their problems become more serious. However, ongoing reductions to local authority budgets are forcing many areas to make extremely difficult decisions about how to allocate increasingly scarce resources. More often than not, resources are taken up by the provision of urgent support for the rising numbers of children and families already at crisis point, instead of investing in early help services. Cllr Richard Watts, Chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “Services caring for and protecting vulnerable children are now, in many areas, being pushed to breaking point. All political parties must commit to fully funding children’s social care to ensure vulnerable children get the appropriate support and protection they need. “Councils are committed to providing the best possible support to vulnerable children and their families, but the demand for children’s social care services has more than doubled and is stretching local authority resources. “With councils facing a £2 billion funding gap for children’s services in the next three years, they have responded by reducing costs and finding new ways to deliver services. But there are very few savings left to find without having a real and lasting impact upon crucial services that many children and families across the country desperately rely on.” He added: “Early intervention can help to limit the need for children to enter the social care system, lay the groundwork for improved performance at school and even help to ease future pressure on adult social care by reducing the pressure on services for vulnerable adults. “However councils are in a difficult situation where they are struggling to invest in this vital early help and support.”

Better coordination needed to continue HIV improvements

King’s Fund report says that the complexity of the health system is holding back progress in meeting the needs of people with HIV. It praises the improvements to treatment which means that people with HIV are now able to live longer, healthier lives. But because of this, health services need to focus on quality of life, rather than just on suppressing the virus. ‘The future of HIV services in England’ found that as responsibility for delivering services is spread between NHS England, local NHS organisations and councils, it is harder for areas to make coordinated changes across HIV services. The report also calls for NHS England and Public Health England to work as quickly

4 | first news

as possible to make the HIV treatment PrEP more widely available and to further increase HIV testing. Cllr Linda Thomas, Vice-Chair of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, said: “The progress made in supporting people with HIV, enabling them to live independent, fulfilling lives, and the fact that it is no longer the death sentence it once was, is a major public health success story. “Since public health moved to local government in 2013, councils have embraced their new responsibilities and worked with their health and community partners to deliver innovative programmes that support people with HIV. Councils invest more than £600 million a year in sexual health preventative

services, including HIV, not just because it is cost-effective in saving money in the long term, but because it significantly improves people’s general health and wellbeing. “We support the findings of this report, in particular the importance that all parts of the system, including NHS England, local NHS bodies and councils, are working together to ensure that people benefit. “The success of sexual health and HIV services depends on everyone working together to make these services responsive, relevant and as easy to use as possible and ultimately improve the public’s health. “We all have the joint responsibility of ensuring we can deliver an integrated sexual health system as was originally intended.” www.local.gov.uk

Plan to boost local services Local government leaders are calling on all political parties to commit to a 10-point plan to boost vital local services, build homes, create school places, close skills gaps and drive economic growth. The LGA has written to all the political party leaders with a list of key concerns it wants the next government to focus on. The plan’s proposals are essential to help councils better support their communities and deliver on the challenges facing the nation. They include ensuring that councils have the funding they need to provide the vital services that communities rely on; continuing with reforms to allow local government to keep more of its business rates income; agreeing new devolution deals across all parts of England and the UK; and closing the £2.3 billion funding gap facing social care services by 2020. Additionally, councils want to build more affordable homes and to do that they need to be able to borrow to invest in housing and to keep 100 per cent of the receipts from any homes they sell. Local government must play a central role in deciding whether to keep, amend or scrap EU laws. The LGA also wants to work with the next government to develop a fullyfunded and locally-driven successor scheme

to the £5.3 billion of EU regeneration funding allocated to 2020. Devolving funding and responsibility for our £10.5 billion a year national employment and skills system to local areas is also a key proposal. This would allow councils to build on their track record of helping more people into work and plugging growing funding gaps. LGA Chairman Lord Porter said: “Councils have a key role to play in helping to generate economic growth, build homes, strengthen communities, and protect vulnerable people in all parts of the country. It is vital for the next government to recognise the need to empower councils to deliver for their residents and the country. “The need for financial sustainability for local government is urgent. Councils need fairer funding to continue to provide the full range of services that support their local communities, alongside a fairer funding system for all schools.” He added: “To build new homes, create jobs, provide dignified care for our elderly and disabled and boost economic growth, all councils need greater freedom from central government to take decisions over vital services in their area. • See p16 and p22

Consultation on broadband speed ads A

crackdown on misleading broadband advertisements has been launched, which has been backed by the LGA. The Committee of Advertising Practice (CAP) has launched a public consultation on different options to strengthen the standards around broadband speed claims. The proposals for broadband providers include ensuring that at least 50 per cent of customers can receive their advertised headline speeds. Current standards say speeds quoted in broadband adverts need apply to a minimum of just 10 per cent of all customers, providing they include the words ‘up to’. The CAP consultation follows research commissioned by the Advertising Standards Authority which found most consumers think they are likely to receive a speed close to a provider’s headline claim when, for many, that is not likely to be the case. Cllr Gillian Brown, Vice-Chair of the LGA’s People and Places Board, said: “We are pleased that the CAP is acting on LGA calls for greater transparency around broadband speeds and fully support June 2017

proposals for tougher standards around the advertising of download speeds. “Good digital connectivity is a vital element of everyday life for residents and can help them cut household bills, shop online for cheaper goods, stay in touch with distant relatives, access their bank accounts and even run their own businesses. As central and local government services increasingly become ‘digital by default’, more people will need to have faster and more reliable speeds. “In its current form, the headline ‘up to’ download speed, which can be advertised legally, is misleading and does not reflect the reality of broadband service received across the country.”

news in brief LGA political balance

ollowing the local elections on 4 May, the LGA’s political balance has now been independently verified. The LGA’s Conservative Group remains the largest group, holding 43.88 per cent of the political balance, followed by Labour on 38.07 per cent, the Liberal Democrats on 9.4 per cent, and the Independent Group on 8.65 per cent. The chairmanship of the organisation will remain with the Conservative Group for the next year, with the chairman due to be announced at the LGA’s annual conference in Birmingham from 4 to 6 July (see www.local.gov.uk/conference).

Women councillors

third of female councillors surveyed by the Fawcett Society reported receiving sexist comments from fellow councillors, and a quarter from members of their own party. The campaign organisation recently published an interim report on its year-long, crossparty commission on women in local government (see p19). Cllr Claire Kober, Chair of the LGA’s Resources Board, said: “Sexism has no place in the council chamber and all incidents should be reported under the local code of conduct for councillors. It is important that local government reflects the communities it represents. The LGA is leading the Be A Councillor campaign, which includes a focus on encouraging women and under-represented groups to engage with and enter politics. The LGA is also working with the Women’s Local Government Society to identify 100 pioneers in women’s suffrage who went on to use the vote to bring tangible benefits to their communities.”

Cyber attack

ollowing the international ransomware cyber attack that affected the NHS, the LGA has been working with SOLACE and the Department for Communities and Local Government to coordinate the local government response. The LGA’s Chairman, Lord Porter, and Chief Executive, Mark Lloyd, wrote to council leaders and chief executives including a statement from the National Cyber Security Centre (NCSC) and a link to advice on how to protect yourself from ransomware. Councils that contact the NCSC or have any issues are asked to also contact the LGA.

first news | 5

New conversations: engaging with communities Wednesday 19 July 2017, Bradford With councils under increasing pressure to deliver more for less, there has never been a more important time to engage with your residents. But how do you build trust? And how do you ensure your residents have a genuine stake in decisions? Join us on Wednesday 19 July to find out more about the LGA #NewConversations guide which was released in February 2017. It’s a practical interactive guide to how councils can strengthen trust, build resilience and respond to today’s challenges through high quality engagement – from pure consultation to responsive and engaging communications. There will be the chance to hear from the council areas already piloting this new approach. For more information and to book a place at the event visit www.local.gov.uk/events

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letters Three big questions

he National Association of Local Councils is urging the political parties to consider how they can best put communities in control in their General Election manifestos. I have written to the leaders of the main political parties, putting three big questions to them: • How will devolution be maximised with powers and responsibilities devolved to the lowest and most local level? • How will proposals encourage more people to get involved and engaged in their local communities, building resilience, empowering neighbourhoods and engaging more people in local democracy? • How will proposals ensure key local discretionary services from public conveniences to children’s centres, from libraries to local festivals, continue to be provided during this continuing period of financial austerity? My letter also offers the political parties and the next government three simple answers to these big questions, supported by a range of specific measures, to put communities in control through stronger local democracy with fairer funding and more powers to engage with local people and help improve the social and economic vitality of local areas. This General Election, post-Brexit, provides an important opportunity for the three main political parties to set out their vision of how communities, neighbourhoods and residents can have a real say and be more engaged over those issues which are best dealt with at a local level.

sound bites Cllr Peter Taylor (Lib Dem, Watford) “That awkward moment when someone buzzes you in to their flat expecting an Amazon delivery and they get a Lib Dem activist instead.” www.twitter.com/CllrPeterTaylor I am urging all 10,000 of England’s local councils and their 80,000 councillors to ask these questions of parliamentary candidates including in local debates. Cllr Sue Baxter, Chairman, National Association of Local Councils

Long walk to change lives

ix people from Middlesbrough’s Children’s Services are limbering up for an 11-day sponsored walk to raise awareness of the need to recruit new foster carers across the five boroughs that make up the Tees Valley. The intrepid hikers will be taking on the 187-mile Coast to Coast challenge on the tracks and fells of the North York Moors, Yorkshire Dales and Lake District, setting off on 24 June. We wanted to do something special to raise the profile of Tees Valley Fostering, so what better than one of the very best walks anywhere in the world? As part of the walk we are organising a sponsored walk for foster carers, their children and anyone else who is willing to join us either to help publicise the event or to raise money. We all believe passionately in fostering and its ability to transform young lives forever, and give young people the security and family support they need in life. The Coast to Coast walk is our way of spreading the word about the difference fostering can make for all involved, and I hope it will encourage more people to come forward and find out more. Brian Foulger, Middlesbrough Council’s Family Placement Team

Cllr Tom Miller (Lab, Brent) “Making sure to visit every @Brent_Council library. 3 remaining, 2 to do today. On the way to Queen’s Park now to speak to staff at Kilburn!” www.twitter.com/TomMillerUK Cllr Terry Jermy (Lab, Norfolk) “#Norfolk Labour Group meeting at County Hall tonight and back in time for Croxton Road Community Association – things are back to normal.” www.twitter.com/CllrTerryJermy Cllr Andrew Kelly (Con, Elmbridge) “At @ElmbridgeBC for meeting of Waterside Drive Working Group earlier, including discussion on Sports Hub opening event in September!” www.twitter.com/CllrAndrewKelly Cllr Richard Mills (Con, Hillingdon) “Great to attend opening of Ladygate Bowls Club new facilities with @Hillingdon Leader Cllr Puddifoot and ward Cllrs @corthorne & Crowe.” www.twitter.com/CllrRMills Cllr June Player (Ind, Bath and North East Somerset) “As D. Mayor it was a privilege to attend Rededication of Crimea War Memorial @ Bath Abbey Cemetery. Moving Last Post played by Henrietta.” www.twitter.com/JunePlayer1 Do you have a blog or a Twitter account we should be following? Let us know. Email first@local.gov.uk

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first letters | 7

DUNCAN NICOL ROBERTSON

features Local election results 2017 The 4 May council elections marked an historic victory for a governing party

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

he aftermath of the local elections often leaves all the political parties arguing over which can take the most positives from the outcome. This year’s results brook no such debate. The Conservatives won and everybody else (with the limited exception of Plaid Cymru in Wales) underperformed. The statistics neatly encapsulate the historic scale of the Conservatives’ victory for a governing party. They took a greater share of the vote in the 27 remaining English counties than at any election since 1977 when they were in opposition to a beleaguered Labour government under James Callaghan. They fell just 20 seats short of matching the number won by David Cameron in 2009 when he faced off against Gordon Brown’s Labour. In 1977, the Conservatives won control of every single county; in 2009, they swept the board apart from in Cumbria. This

8 | first feature

time only Cumbria, again, and Nottinghamshire and Oxfordshire are outside their direct control – and they are the largest party in all three. Unsurprisingly, these results have made the pattern of representation on the LGA’s boards and committees less contentious than last year. The Conservatives now clearly have a plurality ahead of Labour, with both the Liberal Democrat and Independent groups falling back – the latter largely thanks to the collapse of UKIP. In England, there has been a further consolidation of what is effectively two-party politics at local level. Between them, Labour and the Conservatives have more than 80 per cent of all councillors and outright control of 299 of 353 principal local authorities.

Vote share Labour’s share of the vote in England was actually only down a percentage point or so compared with under Ed Miliband four years ago, but the party was caught in a perfect storm in terms of seats. It benefited hardly at all from the UKIP collapse, allowing the Conservatives through to win.

In Lancashire, for example, its vote share was unchanged yet 10 seats were lost to the Tories whose own share increased by more than 11 points. The recurrence of something similar is what the party fears most on 8 June. The Liberal Democrats, too, were hit. Readers of this column will know that in recent months they have been carrying all before them in local by-elections, making 11 gains and often registering spectacular increases

“The metro mayor victory in the West Midlands was of symbolic importance but nothing like as surprising as that in the Tees Valley” in share of the vote. They undoubtedly rue these contests being held in the middle of a General Election campaign. In truth, their vote did go up this year, but because that increase was usually less than the one achieved by the Conservatives, extra seats rarely followed in its wake. Somerset is typical. The Liberal Democrats added nearly five points www.local.gov.uk

Results summary 2017 England and Wales (compared to May 2016 including local by-elections and boundary changes) Seats

Councils

Conservative

+408

+10

Labour

-245

-4

Lib Dem

-27

Other

-136

-8

No overall control

Two more years of similar results and the party could be consigned to a footnote (albeit a game changing one) in electoral history. The Greens have never experienced the same highs as UKIP, but also seem destined to avoid the lows. Their progress since the 2015 General Election has been modest with just a smattering of by-election gains and few seats to show for the much larger number of candidates they now field in local elections. This year they were at a standstill in both England and Wales.

Welsh gains

Council control Con

Lab

Lib Dem Ind/Other

Councils controlled (England) 2017

200

Councils controlled (Wales) 2017

Con

Lab

Nat

No overall control

Nat

No overall control

Councillors Councillors (England) 2017 Councillors (Wales) 2017

8,773 5,704 184

473

Lib Dem Ind/Other 1,674

1,577

203

332

Change in council control England • CON gain from LAB – Derbyshire • CON gain from NOC – Cambridgeshire, East Sussex, Gloucestershire, Isle of Wight Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Norfolk, Warwickshire Wales • CON gain from NOC – Monmouthshire • NOC gain from LAB – Bridgend, Merthyr Tydfil • NOC gain from IND – Powys • IND gain from LAB – Blaenau Gwent but were easily trumped by the Conservatives’ 12-point increase, and lost seats as a result. In Cornwall, where the party contested every seat for the first time ever, it was the same story. The Liberal Democrats were up by more than seven points, but the Conservatives comfortably overtook them with a 10-point increase as UKIP fell away from 15 per cent in June 2017

2013 to scarcely 1 per cent now. A poor performance for UKIP had been widely predicted, but perhaps not quite the level of humiliation the party suffered. Every single seat being defended was lost with its sole success coming in an area of Burnley which had elected a BNP county councillor in 2009 before reverting to Labour last time.

The Conservatives made significant gains in Wales too, but ended up with scarcely more seats overall than they had managed in 2008. For its part, Labour was far from an historic low, thanks both to the Liberal Democrat failure to post a recovery and the fact that UKIP had scarcely featured in the last local elections in Wales five years ago. It was Independents rather than the Conservatives who were responsible for ousting Labour in Blaenau Gwent and Merthyr Tydfil, although the Conservatives did make gains in double figures in Bridgend, Cardiff, and the Vale of Glamorgan, and took control of Monmouthshire. Plaid Cymru made strong gains in a limited number of councils and are now just a couple of seats shy of adding Ceredigion and Carmarthenshire to the currently sole council they control – Gwynedd. The metro mayor elections also reinforced the picture of current Conservative dominance amid a split opposition. The victory in the West Midlands was of symbolic importance but nothing like as surprising as that in the Tees Valley. On an admittedly poor turnout (as low as 18 per cent in Hartlepool), the Conservatives won the first vote in both Stockton-on-Tees and Darlington, with even UKIP coming within 800 votes of Labour in Hartlepool. In the West of England, the Liberal Democrats had been expected to come second to the Conservatives on the first count and sweep up the vast majority of second votes in mounting a challenge to them. In the event they failed to progress, and it was Labour who could not make up the gap. On the other hand, the margin of the Labour victory in Greater Manchester (more than 200,000 votes ahead on the first round) was against the run of play and something of a personal triumph for Andy Burnham. Labour topped the poll in all but six of the 215 wards in the region, including in some usually very Conservative parts of Bolton, Stockport, and Trafford. There is a lesson there somewhere.

first feature | 9

Devo mayors The election of the first six combined authority mayors is a milestone for local government and devolution

n 5 May 2017, six mayors were elected for the first time to lead combined authorities in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City Region, the Tees Valley, the West of England, and the West Midlands. The six combined authority areas account for a total population of 9.5 million people, almost 20 per cent of the population in England. The directly elected mayors will chair combined authority cabinets and will work with combined authority colleagues to exercise new powers and functions devolved to them from

government as part of the devolution deal-making process. Except in Cornwall, the deals made with government stipulated that the areas were required to have a directly elected mayor. While the powers included in most of the initial deals focus on housing, skills and transport, Greater Manchester Combined Authority also has devolved powers and funding relating to criminal justice, and health and social care. The devolved powers and the level of funding varies across the combined authorities. For example, all have responsibility for adult education budgets from 2018, but only some will be piloting full retention of business rates.

Tim Bowles (Con) Mayor of the West of England Combined Authority

GMCA

Mayoral profiles

Andy Burnham (Lab) Mayor of Greater Manchester Combined Authority

Ben Houchen (Con) Mayor of the Tees Valley Combined Authority

www.westofengland-ca.org.uk

www.greatermanchester-ca.gov.uk

www.teesvalley-ca.gov.uk

Member councils: Bath & North East Somerset, Bristol, South Gloucestershire

Member councils: Bolton, Bury, Manchester, Oldham, Rochdale, Salford, Stockport, Tameside, Trafford, Wigan

Member councils: Darlington, Hartlepool, Middlesbrough, Redcar & Cleveland, Stockton

Tim Bowles was elected in 2010 as a Conservative councillor in South Gloucestershire, and has served as a member of the political leadership team.

Andy Burnham has been Labour MP for Leigh in Greater Manchester since 2001, most recently holding the post of shadow home secretary.

Ben Houchen is a qualified solicitor and has been a Stockton councillor since 2011, where he is also Leader of the Conservative Group.

His mayoral priorities include: • improving the frequency and capacity on key rail services, including opening new railway stations • building new strategic roads to take goods vehicles away from towns and cities, and champion clean air zones • prioritising building in urban regeneration areas and on brownfield land.

His mayoral priorities include: • establishing Homelessness Action Network with the goal of eradicating rough sleeping in Greater Manchester by 2020 • introducing the country’s first fullyintegrated National Health and Care Service • developing a UCAS-style application system for all apprenticeships in Greater Manchester.

His mayoral priorities include: • developing a new ‘garden village’ in the region that will provide homes and infrastructure • bringing Teeside airport back into public ownership • promoting local business with partners and clients across the world, including through trade missions organised by the Mayor’s office.

After his election, he said:

“I know the three councils have worked together very successfully over many years – I want to complement and build on that track record and ensure that the benefits of our deal can be used to benefit everyone.”

10 | first feature

“This is the dawn of a new era, not just for this city region but for politics in our country... Greater Manchester is going to take control. We are going to change politics and make it work better for people.”

“I’m looking forward to working collaboratively... to create jobs, grow our economy and make the area a fantastic area to live.”

www.local.gov.uk

Redcar

Bristol

Liverpool

Salford

Similarly, while all of the directly elected mayors will have responsibility for franchised bus services, only some will have responsibility for new key route networks of local authority roads. The LGA has worked closely with combined authorities, providing a wide range of support to areas at varying stages of the devolution process. This work has now extended to support for the six new directly elected mayors as they take on their roles as the chairs of combined authorities and members of the LGA. We will continue to offer support to combined authorities as well as to aspiring devolution areas, and will continue to work with the new government on alternative governance models for devolution.

James Palmer (Con) Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough Combined Authority

Cambridge

Birmingham

For further information on the directly elected mayors, combined authorities and the LGA’s devolution support offer, please visit www.local.gov.uk/devolution

Steve Rotheram (Lab) Mayor of Liverpool City Region Combined Authority

Andy Street (Con) Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority

www.cambspboroca.org

www.liverpoolcityregion-ca.gov.uk

www.wmca.org.uk

Member councils: Cambridge, Cambridgeshire, East Cambridgeshire, Fenland, Huntingdonshire, Peterborough, South Cambridgeshire

Member councils: Halton, Knowsley, Liverpool, Sefton, St. Helens, Wirral

Member councils: Birmingham, City of Wolverhampton, Coventry, Dudley, Sandwell, Solihull, Walsall

James Palmer has been Leader of East Cambridgeshire District Council since 2013 and a Conservative councillor for 10 years.

Steve Rotheram was elected as a Liverpool City councillor in 2002, before being elected as Labour MP for Liverpool Walton in 2010.

Andy Street was Managing Director of John Lewis from 2007, where he also acted as Chair of the Greater Birmingham and Solihull Local Enterprise Partnership.

His mayoral priorities include: • diversifying the local housing market, opening it up to smaller, local builders • reviewing the option of an underground metro system in Cambridge, with a light railway into Cambridgeshire • ensuring schools and businesses work more closely to match the development of young talent with the needs of local companies.

His mayoral priorities include: • developing and introducing a new independent careers service for young people • launching a Metro Mayor’s Housing Challenge to identify and pilot new ways to meet housing needs • creating a City Region Renewable Energy Company funded through a public and private sector partnership.

His mayoral priorities include: • building 25,000 new homes by 2020 and always prioritising construction on brownfield sites • reducing the youth unemployment rate in the region to zero by the end of his first term • creating a Mayor’s Digital Skills Institute to lead digital training efforts in the region • form a taskforce for homelessness and rough sleeping.

After his election, he said:

“Fairness is something I believe in very strongly and as mayor I aim to make this area a fairer county, with opportunities for all.”

June 2017

“As our metro mayor, I will work to address the North-South divide by raising aspirations for all.”

“I want to be a mayor who works for everyone across the West Midlands and binds all of our leaders together.”

first feature | 11

“Communicating with council staff gives councillors the chance to extend the reach of their messages and respond to feedback”

Internal communications Communicating well with council staff can improve performance and promote positive messages about your council

Cllr William Nunn is Chairman of the LGA’s Improvement and Innovation Board

‘T

he inside story – a guide to more effective internal communication’ is the latest in a series of LGA good practice guides on council communications. This is a really helpful resource that will enable councils to develop internal communications strategies which give staff as much attention as residents, community groups and other key stakeholders and partners. Council leaders can also play a role, and we hope they find it useful in getting to know staff more and enabling them to better understand their council’s business and priorities. With many council staff also living in the same communities they serve, it is vital that we invest as much time and attention engaging them. Our new guide has been developed

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in partnership with a range of colleagues and councils, and includes case studies from member councils that are already seeing the benefits that more effective internal communications can bring. Council leaders have much to gain from investing time and effort in communicating with employees, not least to help staff understand both the political and corporate priorities of the organisation. They can do this by attending staff events, writing intranet blog posts, featuring in staff magazines, and hosting question and answer events or drop-in sessions where staff can get to know the leader and senior councillors and/or familiarise themselves with the work of council boards and committees. Not only does this have the benefit of giving staff a complete picture of council business, it also offers the potential for staff to become ambassadors for their

organisation as a whole, and act as an additional channel for promoting positive messages about the council within their own communities. Staff who deal with and interact with the public on a regular basis will also have an insight into what residents really think about issues in a way that people may not always raise with their elected representatives. As some of these staff will also be residents of the communities that councillors serve, engaging with them can help elected members reach a wider network than residents’ meetings or forums might otherwise offer. Communicating with council staff gives councillors the chance to extend the reach of their messages and respond to feedback. Members of staff can be a good test case for how the public at large may respond to councillors’ messages, which underlines the benefits of spending time investing in communicating and building relationships internally. As a starting point, councillors should engage with their own communications teams if they want to reach out to staff. Comms teams will be able to advise about the most effective channels for communicating to employees, and help to identify opportunities councillors may not have previously considered. The new LGA resource on internal comms is an invaluable toolkit that explains the value of communicating with employees, and is something councillors can benefit from, not just chief executives and senior managers. This can be really effective in helping staff to understand the vision of the council, and play their part in delivering the objectives of the organisation.

Please visit www.local.gov.uk/our-support/guidance-and-resources/communicationssupport/internal-communications to read ‘The inside story – a guide to more effective internal communication’. You can find out more about our wider support for council communications activity and sign up for our regular CommsNet bulletin at www.local.gov.uk/our-support/guidance-and-resources/communications-support

www.local.gov.uk

A breath of fresh air Exposure to second-hand smoke and attitudes to smoking have changed greatly since the introduction of smoke-free legislation almost 10 years ago

Cllr Izzi Seccombe is Chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board

en years on, it is easy to forget how controversial and hard-fought the introduction of a ban on smoking in all workplaces, on public and work transport, in pubs, clubs, membership clubs, cafes, restaurants and shopping centres in England was. It came into effect on 1 July 2007 in England – a year after a ban was brought in in Scotland and a few months after Wales and Northern Ireland took the plunge. In the years leading up to the legislation being passed, there was much opposition to the idea, not just from industry but the public too. Some opponents of the ban rejected the idea on civil liberties grounds, arguing

that it was not the state’s role to determine what people do to their bodies. Supporters of a ban, however, made virtually the same point, arguing that they should not be made to breathe other people’s smoke. But slowly perceptions began to change, encouraged by the example of the Republic of Ireland – the first country to adopt comprehensive smoke-free legislation. It gave policy-makers the confidence to act – and in one single step smoking was banned in all enclosed public places and workplaces. No longer would people be allowed to light up after a meal in a restaurant or over a drink in the pub. But, of course, the impact went much further than that. Exposure to second-hand smoke and attitudes to smoking have changed greatly because of the smoke-free legislation. It has also, arguably, paved the way for more controls on the use and sale of tobacco products. Since the ban was introduced we have seen further laws banning the sale of tobacco to under-18s and restrictions on tobacco displays in shops.

“Exposure to secondhand smoke and attitudes to smoking have changed greatly because of the smokefree legislation. It has also paved the way for more controls on the use and sale of tobacco products” Council environmental health officers were crucial in the successful implementation of the smoking ban and, together with trading standards officers, continue to play a pivotal role, working closely with businesses to raise their awareness of the legal requirements of the Health Act 2006 and to ensure compliance. The 10th anniversary of the ban is a time to look back at what has been achieved. While it took a long time to get the legislation introduced – cinemas first started restricting smoking in the 1970s – when it did happen, it was pretty seamless. Four months after the introduction of the ban, government announced 98 per cent of places inspected by local authority officers were compliant. It has meant that the council teams involved in enforcing the law have only had to resort to prosecutions on relatively rare occasions. But the anniversary is also a time to remind ourselves that we must not be complacent. There are many people who still smoke – one in six adults on last count – and it remains the leading cause of preventable deaths and diseases.

For more information on the LGA’s work on public health, please visit www.local.gov.uk/topics/social-care-health-and-integration/public-health

June 2017

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DUNCAN NICOL ROBERTSON

An LGA development programme helps equip councillors with the skills and confidence they need to become the political leaders of the future

Local leaders: the next generation

ach year we support a select group of talented and ambitious councillors from across the political spectrum through the LGA’s Next Generation programme. Next Generation offers you an unparalleled political development opportunity – it is uniquely developed within party political traditions and with party political experts. Next Generation is all about equipping emerging political leaders with the skills and confidence to progress in their political careers and be champions of local government. Many of our Next Generation alumni go on to political leadership roles and we are now looking to attract applications for this year’s programme. As a delegate on Next Generation, you’ll meet councillors from your own political group from across the country, be introduced to exemplar approaches to local government leadership and have the opportunity to raise your profile within your group at a local and national level.

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Each LGA political group has developed their own distinctive programme within their own party setting, but all participants will have the opportunity to: • explore different political and community leadership styles • develop their communication and media skills • work within party political settings to better understand policy-making strategies • attend residential modules throughout the year with a competitively selected cohort of peers from their own LGA political group. The LGA Independent Group also offers a tailored programme for Independent councillors, or those whose political

affiliation is not Conservative, Labour or Liberal Democrat. We’re looking for the future leaders and ambitious councillors to apply for this year’s Next Generation programme. Could that be you? See right for what past delegates have to say. There is no cost to attend the programme (excluding travel costs). But to reflect the high demand for this programme, there is a competitive application process. Next Generation usually takes place across a number of residential modules. Before confirming your place on the programme, you’ll need to be able to commit to each of the modules and your council group leader will also need to support your application.

Next Generation 2017/18 applications will open soon. To express an interest and find out more, please visit www.local.gov.uk/our-support/ highlighting-political-leadership/next-generation

www.local.gov.uk

Cllr Mary Lewis (Con) Surrey County Council “The Next Generation course provides a rare opportunity to think about the nature of political leadership. It is not always possible to tell people what they want to hear; you need to develop the skills to carry the voters with you through difficult decisions. “Discussing political leadership over three weekends, with thinking time in between, gives potential political leaders a much needed peer group with whom to share the ups and downs of their political life. It is a safe space in which to try out ideas. “Another key feature, among the serious and challenging parts, was the fun. That’s down to the participants, who were great.”

Cllr Liz Hazell (UKIP) Walsall Council

The website www.local.gov.uk/ our-support/highlighting-politicalleadership/next-generation will be updated with dates and venues as soon as they become available, but if you have any queries in the meantime please contact virginia.ponton@local.gov.uk for more information.

Cllr Rishi Shori (Lab) Bury Council “In May 2016, I became the Leader of Bury Metropolitan Borough Council, the youngest in the council’s history at the age of 35. The Next Generation programme has been invaluable to me as I have progressed on my journey to becoming a council leader. “In the first instance, it raised

June 2017

“Life is full of opportunities, and the LGA Next Generation programme is one of those opportunities not to be missed. “The programme is well organised and jam-packed from start to finish. The topics move seamlessly between stimulating to informative to empowering to thought-provoking. “As a member of the Independent Group, my cohort were from various political backgrounds with a wide variety of views. The discussions were both lively and challenging. “The skills that I have gained continue to be useful in my duties as a councillor and beyond. I thoroughly enjoyed spending time with such a great bunch of people.”

awareness of the skills needed to become a leader and provided a means of developing those skills with external support. It gave me the confidence to start thinking about what I wanted to achieve in local government and form a plan to meet those goals. “Soon after participating in the course, my party took control of the council in 2011 and I was appointed to the council’s cabinet. As part of the Next Generation programme, I was provided with a mentor in a neighbouring authority who was a senior cabinet member. This really helped

Cllr Niall Hodson (Lib Dem) Sunderland City Council “For me, the best thing about the Next Generation programme is that you build a very strong support network of people facing similar issues around the country. It has been really useful to be able to talk about challenges I face as a councillor in Sunderland, and learn how colleagues elsewhere have dealt with them. “It’s also a superfast training course in nationwide best practice. For example, I’m already following one of my cohort’s examples for recording my casework, and another’s tips about keeping in touch with local residents in an effective way. “When I started on the Next Generation programme, I was the only member of my party on Sunderland City Council, so it was easy to feel a bit remote and isolated as a new councillor. That’s why it has been important to have the Next Generation network to tap into for advice and guidance – as well as the Lib Dem group at the LGA, who were in touch with me as soon as I was elected, and have helped me with all sorts of things since. “Getting involved in local government is a bit bewildering, so it really helps to have as much support as possible. “I have to say a word about the social side of it, too – I’ve made great friends, and people I look forward to seeing at the next instalment of the programme, and keeping in touch with in years to come. One of the entertaining things has been meeting members of previous years’ programmes, and finding that they all still get together and get along – that’s a ringing endorsement of the Next Generation programme in my book.”

with my development as a decision maker and gave me a ‘safe space’ in which to share my concerns or ask for help. Politics can be a harsh environment so having that external person to share ideas with was vital. “In addition to the mentoring, the LGA has remained in regular contact, offering training support and guidance. Next Generation signalled the beginning of my relationship with the LGA and I am incredibly grateful for their ongoing support.”

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Influencing the next government The LGA has been lobbying the political parties on behalf of local government in the run-up to the General Election

ouncils have a key role to play in helping to generate economic growth, build homes, strengthen communities, and protect vulnerable people in all parts of the country. It is vital for the next government to recognise the need to empower councils to deliver for their residents and the country. Ahead of the General Election, the LGA, through its political group offices, has been working hard to raise the key issues councils want the new government to focus on with all the political parties. LGA Chairman Lord Porter and the LGA’s political group leaders wrote to party leaders, setting out how councils can work with central government to drive the creation of a successful, worldleading economy that supports local people and local communities. However, if councils are to achieve this, the next government will need to recognise that the need for financial sustainability for local government is urgent. Councils need fairer funding so that they can continue to provide the full range of services that support their local communities. If they are to build new homes, create jobs, provide dignified care for our elderly and disabled people, protect children from harm and boost economic growth, councils will also need greater freedom from central government to take decisions over vital services in their area. The LGA’s plan (see boxes, right) sets out the policy priorities councils would want adopted by the next government, so that local government can better support their communities and deliver on the challenges facing the nation. As the most efficient part of the public sector, local government provides the strong local leadership and support that allows communities, individuals and businesses to flourish – and this must be recognised by the incoming government.

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Economy, employment, skills and transport Central and local government need to work together to drive the creation of a successful, worldleading economy. To achieve this, it is vital that local leaders have the power and flexibility to stimulate growth and compete with global competitors. If they are to do this, the next government needs to: • devolve funding and responsibility for the £10.5 billion a year national employment and skills system • allow the pooling of all local infrastructure funding so that councils and groups of councils can deliver new infrastructure according to local priorities • provide multi-year transport funding settlements so councils have long-term certainty to commit to transport projects.

Housing Local government wants to build more homes, create prosperous places, and reduce homelessness. The right homes in the right areas can have significant benefits for people and communities, prevent future challenges and costs, and support economic growth. The next government should: • give councils the flexibility and stability to build more homes by enabling them to borrow to invest, to replace every home sold through Right to Buy by retaining 100 per cent receipts, and to join up national public investment in housing and infrastructure to meet local demand • redress the growing gap between household incomes and rents, including by lifting the Local Housing Allowance freeze and relinking to actual rents and inflation • ensure well-resourced and locallyled planning, by restoring planning powers to councils.

www.local.gov.uk

Business rates

Brexit The UK’s exit from the European Union (EU) is going to provide opportunities for us to do things differently, as well as creating challenges that will need to be addressed. We are calling on the next government to: • give local government a central role in deciding whether to keep, amend or scrap EU laws once they are converted into domestic law • work with local government to develop a fully-funded and locallydriven successor scheme for the £5.3 billion EU regeneration funding allocated to 2020.

Business rates are an important source of income for local government. The business rates system needs to be up to date, flexible and fair for both ratepayers and councils. The next government should: • continue with reforms to allow local government to keep more of its business rates income • implement a fair system of challenging and appealing business rates with clear time limits, such as the six-month time limit in Scotland.

Children’s Services The funding pressures facing children’s services are rapidly becoming unsustainable, with a combination of government reductions and increases in demand. Our most recent analysis suggests that councils will be facing a £2 billion funding gap for children’s services by 2020. We are calling on the next government to: • give councils the money they need to keep children and young people safe in the future and close the £2 billion funding gap • provide funding for sector-led improvement of children’s services.

Adult social care and health

Council finances Local government currently faces an estimated funding gap of £5.8 billion by 2019/20. If councils are not given the freedoms and independence to address this problem, it will affect their ability to both provide services to help their local communities and contribute to the nation’s prosperity. We are calling on the next government to: • ensure councils have the funding they need to provide the vital services that communities rely on, from collecting the bins to caring for the elderly • give councils the freedom to set local fees and charges, such as planning and licensing fees, to at least recover local costs • provide full flexibility over council tax setting, including council tax levels, discounts and banding.

June 2017

The LGA has led national efforts to highlight the extreme pressures facing adult social care. The additional £2 billion announced in the Spring Budget marked a significant step towards protecting the services caring for older and disabled people. Short-term pressures remain and the challenge of finding a long-term solution to the social care crisis is far from over. The next government should: • close the £2.3 billion funding gap in social care • carry out a formal review, in which local government leaders play a fundamental part, to help secure a long-term sustainable solution.

Education Councils have a statutory duty to ensure every child has a school place available to them, but they are under extreme pressure to accommodate rapidly rising numbers of pupils. To ensure new schools are established in the right places and meet the needs of local communities, the next government should: • ensure councils have a role in determining where new schools are created and a say on the type of school they are • provide sufficient funding to meet the rising demand for support for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities • work with councils to ensure school funding is fair and that decisions regarding funding allocations are made locally, in collaboration with schools, to best meet local needs.

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The LGA Independent Group

Appointment to LGA governance structures 2017/18 Each year the LGA Independent Group Executive considers applications from its members for appointments to the LGA governance structures. All Independent Group members are able to apply for appointments. The deadline for submission of applications for appointments is Friday 9 June 2017.

Annual General Meeting 2017 The LGA Independent Group will hold its 2017 AGM on Tuesday 4 July, between 10.00am and 11.30am, at the International Convention Centre, Birmingham, as part of the LGA Annual Conference and Exhibition. Attendance at the AGM is free of charge for councillors in Group membership. Members submitting Notices of Motion to the AGM must attend the meeting in person to speak to the motion, or send a nominated Independent Group member as a substitute to speak on their behalf. Deadline for submission of motions is Friday 16 June 2017.

If you would like an application form for LGA appointments or to register your attendance at the Group AGM, please contact Sarah Woodhouse, Head of the Independent Group Office: sarah.woodhouse@local.gov.uk or 020 7664 3206

6.35 LGA_INDEPENDENT AD_FIRST_v01.indd 1

05/05/2017 10:53

BBA/CIT is now providing Local Authorities with independent, expert Investigation services to help with problems associated with failed cavity wall insulation retrofits. To find out about our breakfast briefings and training sessions, please email or call using the contact details below, or visit the BBA/CIT stand during the following events: • Housing 2017 at Manchester Central 27 – 29 June • LGA Annual Conference and Exhibition at ICC Birmingham 4 – 6 July www.bbacit.co.uk clientservices@bba.star.co.uk 01923 665420 CI

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www.local.gov.uk

comment Representation and women councillors

commitments, which still primarily means women. Of the women we surveyed, 28 per cent said childcare was a barrier for them, compared with 17 per cent of men; and 47 per cent said other caring commitments, such as for older or disabled relatives, was an issue compared with 26 per cent of men. With women too often facing sexist behaviour and assumptions, and with council business not set up to support them, it is more difficult for them to rise to the top. Only 17 per cent of council leaders are women, only fractionally up from 14 per cent in 2008. We know that this isn’t because women lack ambition – an equal proportion of men and women said that they wanted to progress to a more senior role in their council. But when we asked about the reasons for the lack of women at the top, 42 per cent said that they are pigeonholed into particular roles, 39 per cent felt that council culture

Progression in local councils Andrew Bazeley is Policy and Research Officer at the Fawcett Society

Women are under-represented at the top of our society. In some places we have seen progress – due to national attention, the proportion of women MPs has increased by more than half since 1997. But that focus has not been applied to local councils. Twenty years ago, 28 per cent of our councillors were women, and now that figure stands only slightly higher at 33 per cent. Only 5.5 per cent of them are from Black, Asian, or ethnic minority backgrounds. As first readers know well, local politics matters hugely – councils employ 1.5 million people (mostly women), spend £94 billion a year, and look after us from our first steps to our dying days. So it matters that our councillors are truly representative. Not only so that women in every area are governed by people who share their experiences, but also so that the quality of our governance is improved. As evidence from the world of business shows, more diverse teams make better decisions and get better results. That is why the Fawcett Society, a women’s rights campaign organisation, and the Local Government Information Unit (LGiU) teamed up for a year-long cross-party commission on women in local government, chaired by Labour’s Dame Margaret Hodge MP and Conservative Cllr Gillian Keegan. Sarah Pickup, the LGA’s Deputy Chief Executive, is among the commissioners. We looked into the reasons for underrepresentation, and ideas that could shift June 2017

43%

of women councillors say they are held back by assumptions about their gender.

Though men and women are equally likely to want to progress to a more senior role, only 17% of council leaders are women @fawcettsociety thewww.fawcettsociety.org.uk/become-member dial. Our interim report was published holds them back from showing their talents, at the end of April. We found that in an and 29 per cent felt that sexism from other environment dominated by men, the women councillors plays a significant part. councillors we surveyed all too often received The culture we have uncovered, and the sexist comments – one in four within their practical difficulties women face, need to party, and a third from other councillors. change. Local government matters too much For one in ten women, this had escalated for the people who decide how it operates to sexual harassment. to be unrepresentative. In the summer, our Sexism also appeared in other ways, such final report will make recommendations as 43 per cent of women councillors saying to change this picture. they experienced assumptions about what they can do or are interested in as a result of their gender. Almost half (47 per cent) ‘Does local government work for said that the informal networks where women – interim report, April 2017’, decisions are often made were a barrier, see wwww.fawcett.society.gov.uk. compared with 36 per cent of men. See www.beacouncillor.co.uk for The way that councils do business also the LGA’s campaign to widen the holds women back. The practicalities of pool of talent from which councillors lengthy, inflexible council meetings make are elected the role harder for people with caring first comment | 19

face

group leaders’ comments A national success

“The results consolidate our position as the largest party in local government and the largest group at the LGA”

would like to congratulate all those Conservative councillors who have been elected or re-elected and offer my commiserations to those who were unsuccessful. This was a national success for the Conservative party as we gained just over 400 seats in England and Wales and made substantial progress in Scotland. I would particularly like to highlight the achievements of colleagues in Cambridgeshire, Derbyshire, East Sussex, Gloucestershire, the Isle of Wight, Lancashire, Lincolnshire, Monmouthshire, Norfolk, Suffolk and Warwickshire where we took control of those councils either from opposition or from no overall control.

It was also very encouraging to see UKIP lose every single seat that they were defending and end up with just one county councillor. The results consolidate our position as the largest party in local government and the largest group at the LGA. Of course, we also had the first contests for directly elected mayors in six regions: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City, Tees Valley, the West of England, and the West Midlands. Congratulations are due to Andy Street for winning in the West Midlands, to Cllr James Palmer for winning in Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, to Cllr Ben Houchen for winning in Tees Valley and to Cllr Tim Bowles for winning in the West of England.

Cllr David Simmonds CBE is Acting Leader of the LGA’s Conservative Group

Cllr Sean Anstee, our LGA Vice-Chairman, fought a strong battle against Andy Burnham in Greater Manchester, and Tony Caldeira finished a credible second in the Liverpool City Region. The results in the Tees Valley and West Midlands prove that Conservatives can win in urban areas that have traditionally been seen as Labour’s heartlands. To have won four of the six contests is an excellent achievement. I know that Conservative councillors around the country are working flat out to secure the re-election of a Conservative government on 8 June. I would like to extend my best wishes to the many Conservative councillors who are standing and I look forward to the new Parliament having a strong local government presence.

chairman’s comment

From local to national elections

Lord Porter is Chairman of the LGA

ow that we’ve made it to the other side of polling day, I would like to congratulate all those involved in the local government elections. While some will be celebrating a win, others will be seriously thinking about a life beyond local government – if that’s at all possible. Congratulations to those councillors who have secured another term, your electors have rewarded you once again. As we all know, this is a great privilege. For those who join the council benches for the first time, welcome. Being a

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councillor is one of the best jobs. For those who didn’t make it across the line, I would like to say thank you. Being a councillor isn’t easy so you should be extremely proud of the contribution you have made during your time. This year’s elections had an extra interest, because added to the normal council elections there were also the first contests for directly elected mayors in six regions: Cambridgeshire and Peterborough, Greater Manchester, Liverpool City, Tees Valley, the West of England, and the West Midlands. Congratulations are due to all those who have been elected as the first mayor of their region. This is a milestone for them, and for local government.

I would also like to extend a big thanks to all those involved in supporting the local elections, from returning officers to candidates. Countless hours are spent making sure polling day runs smoothly and the votes are tallied correctly. It’s a tough job and your hard work and dedication has been noted. And fair play to our returning officers and volunteers who will have to do it all over again in a couple of weeks for the General Election. Over the next few months, and particularly after 8 June, it will be really important for all of us, no matter what political colour, to pull together to make it work and protect the services our communities rely on.

“Being a councillor isn’t easy so you should be extremely proud of the contribution you have made” www.local.gov.uk

Cllr Nick Forbes is Leader of the LGA’s Labour Group

Mayor Baroness Dorothy Thornhill is Deputy Leader of the LGA’s Liberal Democrat Group

Cllr Mike Haines is National Lead Member Peer of the LGA’s Independent Group

In the shadow of a snap election

Outstanding results and frustrating losses

General election undermined local vote

“Many local issues were overshadowed by the Brexit debate and other national messaging across all political divides”

“To prove that every vote can count, there was the drama in Northumberland of drawing straws on a tied vote”

“The national shadow over the elections meant local voices were hard to hear”

ongratulations to all of Labour’s councillors who were re-elected on 4 May, and a warm welcome to those who are newly elected. On behalf of the Labour Group, I extend our commiserations to the many hard-working Labour candidates and colleagues who lost out this time. This was undoubtedly a difficult set of circumstances, where we fought a local election in the shadow of the snap General Election. As a result, many local issues were overshadowed by the Brexit debate and other national messaging across all political divides. The metro mayoral elections saw two big names enter local government politics, with Andy Burnham elected in Greater Manchester and Steve Rotheram elected in Liverpool City Region. A big congratulations to both of Labour’s newest mayors and to their campaign teams. This is a hugely important and pivotal moment for local government. Metro mayors give us a new platform to argue for further devolution and new powers. Councils and councillors need to continue to work with all directly elected metro mayors to drive forward the devolution agenda that will help us bring more opportunities and growth for our local economies. I look forward to working closely with them in the months and years ahead.

ery well done to all Liberal Democrat councillors who were elected (and in many cases re-elected) on 4 May. We had some really outstanding results right across the country. Liberal Democrats gained seats in many areas, including five in County Durham, and we also saw Lib Dem gains in East and West Sussex, Hertfordshire, Lancashire, Cambridgeshire, Oxfordshire, Norfolk, Hampshire, Newport, Ceredigion, Isle of Wight, Leicestershire, Cornwall, Powys and Port Talbot. And to prove that every vote really can count, there was the drama in Northumberland which saw the winning Lib Dem candidate prevent the Conservatives from taking control by the drawing of straws on a tied vote! Who said democracy isn’t fun and that every vote counts? We also got into the run-off for the final vote in the race for a directly elected mayor for Cambridgeshire, and Stephen Williams was very close to being in the run-off for West of England mayor. But we also saw some frustrating losses, and seats we failed to gain. It is never easy to lose an election and particularly difficult to lose a council seat, so our thoughts are with colleagues who lost. The General Election, announced halfway through the local election campaign, undoubtedly had an impact on local election results – but I know whatever the results of that election, Liberal Democrat councillors will keep working hard for their communities.

he recent local elections saw a focus on national politics, similar to that experienced in the 2015 local elections. The calling of the General Election a matter of weeks after the local elections confused some voters, dominated local press coverage and worked to undermine local government. This led to the Conservatives gaining overall control of a further 10 county councils, largely because of the dominance of their party leader. The national shadow over the elections meant local voices were hard to hear, and resulted in our members facing mixed fortunes at the county level. Group members made gains in several areas across England and particularly in Wales, where the Independents, Plaid Cymru and Greens all did well. Members also hold the balance of power in a number of councils with no overall control. However we also lost many dedicated and hardworking councillors. We look forward to welcoming new councillors to our group and say a big thank you to those who did not retain their seats. Our network of peers are already busy making contact with new members, attending induction events, advising existing members and supporting those affected by new local arrangements in combined authorities. As we approach the General Election, we are busy supporting the LGA’s efforts to inform manifestos and providing a strong voice for local government, our communities and residents.

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

June 2017

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group leaders’ manifesto comments

Cllr David Simmonds CBE is Acting Leader of the LGA’s Conservative Group

Delivering on devolution

“The security that comes from having a decent home is immeasurable”

he Conservative party’s General Election manifesto was officially launched as first was going to print. While it contains a wide range of pledges that will impact on local government, I will focus on three specific areas where councils want to see further progress in partnership with the new government. Firstly, following the welcome announcement of significant extra short-term funding for adult social care in the Spring Budget, there needs to be a recognition of the challenges that are posed by our ageing society and a clear, strategic vision for how a Conservative government intends to provide a longterm solution to the funding gap.

The security that comes from having a decent home is immeasurable. I therefore hope that, following the recent Housing White Paper, the manifesto will recognise the role of councils in measures to increase house building and promote home ownership across all sections of society. Local government wants to play its full part in relation to this and I hope that, building on welcome announcements in the White Paper, such as the commitment to support councils to build through their housing revenue accounts and other ventures, there will be a clear recognition that we are part of the solution to fixing the housing crisis. Finally, with elected mayors having been elected in six areas across the

country earlier this month, I hope that the manifesto will re-affirm the party’s commitment to the devolution of powers from Whitehall to local areas. This will be particularly important in the coming two years as the devolution of powers from the EU is debated, with the elected mandate of local government being important to getting the best deal for the residents we serve. Local government has shown that our communities can be served efficiently and effectively, and the continued popularity of Conservative councils and councillors shows that there is enormous potential for us to deliver the manifesto in partnership with the new government.

Cllr Nick Forbes is Leader of the LGA’s Labour Group

An alternative vision for Britain

“We do not and will not accept that austerity is the way forward”

abour has made a real break from the past by standing on an anti-austerity platform in this snap General Election. Labour does not and will not accept that austerity is the way forward, and we have shown that by continually challenging the narrative on this for the past seven years. Taken together, this is a manifesto that means more funding and more powers for local government. It means that under a Labour government, councils can deliver better services and more opportunities for our communities. It’s a radical manifesto that offers an alternative vision for Britain and a real choice to voters.

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We in local government have weathered seven years of Tory government cuts and as a result our councils are on their last legs financially – we’ve been cut deeper than any other government department to date. That’s why Labour’s anti-austerity message matters to us and so many more. Labour’s promise of extra funding for adult social care is a significant commitment that will make a real difference to people’s lives and families; and to councils who have seen more than £10 billion cut for this vital service. Our renewed commitment to devolution shows that it is part of our DNA and that Labour are the real party of devolution. I’m pleased to see a Minister for England included

in the Labour manifesto, which continues to demonstrate how seriously we take devolution in England. Voters face a real and stark choice: a Tory government which has broken promise after promise, or a Labour government which will transform the country for the many. We have hundreds of committed local MPs who have worked closely with their councils to deliver real change for their communities. Our councillors will continue to be on the frontline and we need a Labour government to deliver our values and vision for the country. From all at the LGA’s Labour Group, we wish our candidates, their teams and activists the best of luck on 8 June. www.local.gov.uk

Mayor Baroness Dorothy Thornhill is Deputy Leader of the LGA’s Liberal Democrat Group

Bringing together health and care

“If developers won’t build enough homes, we will make sure government does”

ocal government is at the heart of the Liberal Democrat manifesto, with a key pledge to drastically reduce the powers of central government ministers to interfere in democratically elected local government. The manifesto pledges to spend an extra £6 billion a year on social care and the NHS. What a refreshing change to hear social care being mentioned at the same time as the NHS! The five-point recovery plan includes prioritising social care, primary care, mental health and public health – an issue of interest to all councillors who care about social care and health services in their local communities. And to avoid the problems of the past, we will introduce a dedicated health and care tax, bringing together spending on both services

into a collective budget. We will also set up an independent Office of Health and Care Funding. Housing is also a key area – if developers won’t build enough homes that our communities need, then the Liberal Democrats will make sure government does. Local councils will play a leading role – for example, we will lift the borrowing cap to help councils build more homes for social rent. We’ll also give local authorities the power to penalise excessive land banking, when builders with planning permission have failed to build after three years, and allow councils to levy up to 200 per cent council tax on empty homes – including second homes and ‘buy to leave empty’ investments from overseas.

And then there is the growing crisis in school funding. Liberal Democrats will invest nearly £7 billion more in our children’s education, increasing school budgets and the pupil premium to protect against rising costs and pupil numbers. Under the current government, funding per pupil is set to see the biggest cuts in a generation. Billions of pounds are being spent by the Conservatives on divisive plans to expand grammars and free schools. Liberal Democrats will protect per pupil funding in real terms in schools and make sure no school loses out from the changes in the National Funding Formula. We will work with councils to ensure our local communities get the support they need.

Cllr Mike Haines is National Lead Member Peer of the LGA’s Independent Group

A government that respects local government

“For too long, local government has faced cuts and instability”

head of June’s General Election, members of the LGA’s Independent Group have contributed to the LGA’s work to influence all party manifestos. Of most importance to members were demands for adequate funding for local government, a sustainable solution to social care and matching house building with the required services and infrastructure. Following its publication, we have shared the LGA’s key messages document with Independent candidates and the parties covered by our group, to help inform their election campaigns. Candidates within our membership are busy setting out their key priorities, promoting

June 2017

a credible alternative to the traditional parties of Westminster. The LGA’s priorities are echoed in many of the key messages of our candidates published so far, including calls for improved integration between health and social care, more affordable housing and more local decision making, post-Brexit. Given the strategically timed snap election resulting in gains by the Conservatives at the local level, it is a priority for each of the candidates within our group to ensure there is a credible and effective opposition in place, and an alternative to traditional party politics. All of our members are free from a party whip and therefore are the only ones able to vote solely on behalf of their residents.

What all of our members want is a government that understands and respects local government, supports rather than hinders progress and does not renege on deals it has made. For too long, local government has faced cuts and instability. Hopefully, whoever is elected on 8 June will understand the important role local government plays in people’s lives and support councillors to do the job they’ve been elected to do, rather than introduce barriers and obstacles. Given the Conservatives’ dominance at the local level and the apparent lack of strong opposition, now is the time for change and truly local voices in Westminster.

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Supporting volunteering Paul Buddery is Director of Strategy at Volunteering Matters

No community could get by without volunteering. Everyday acts of help and support hold us together; and for the most part, they’re given and received as a matter of course. But does that mean that volunteering is only good for simply keeping the status quo? What about our toughest challenges? For families that are struggling, for young people leaving care, or for the socially isolated, does volunteering have a role to play? Or are these the kind of situations that can only be dealt with by paid professionals? At Volunteering Matters, we believe councils have a crucial role in both promoting community resilience and supporting the most vulnerable; and we think that volunteering can help with both. Our own programmes range from relatively informal peer-led activities that keep people connected, active and feeling useful, to carefully designed projects that enable volunteers to take on the toughest challenges in partnership with public service professionals. In Brent, for example, we’re evolving our well-established Volunteers Supporting Families work to provide intensive support where there are concerns about potential gang involvement, or a history of domestic abuse. Volunteers spend time with a family up to three times a week. They provide advice, a listening ear, time with someone ‘on their level’ and from their community. Through careful training, risk management and information sharing, volunteers can offer a flexible and knowledgeable supplement to the work of statutory services. In Kent, Hounslow and Islington, young people leaving care are offered the opportunity to benefit from mentoring, provided by older members of the community – the grandparent figure that many of us have cherished, but which not all care leavers can rely on. ‘Grandmentors’ has shown that young people making challenging transitions benefit from someone in their lives who is there through choice, and who doesn’t look at the

A member of Hackney Active Volunteering

“Councils have a crucial role in promoting community resilience and supporting the most vulnerable, and volunteering can help with both” world through the same lens as of one of their professional support workers. This is inclusion in action. For many people with disabilities, the barriers to volunteering can be attitudinal as much as physical, not least the tendency for some to regard people with a disability as recipients of help and support, rather than as people who want to contribute to their local communities. In Essex, Wales and Hackney, our Supported Volunteering Programme matches people with disabilities who want to volunteer with other volunteers who can help them make this a

reality, giving them whatever physical support and encouragement they need. As we approach Volunteers’ Week (1-7 June), our hope at Volunteering Matters is that councils recognise, celebrate and support all types of volunteering, from the most informal and light-touch, to the most ambitious and integrated. Volunteering helps communities find community solutions to community problems. Councils should be as ambitious about what they ask of their communities as they are serious about the professional support communities need to function at their best.

For more information about the charity Volunteering Matters (formerly Community Service Volunteers), please visit www.volunteeringmatters.org.uk. You can find out about Volunteers’ Week at www.volunteersweek.org

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www.local.gov.uk

parliament Select committee reports As Parliament was dissolved for the General Election, the parliamentary committees published a series of reports, announcing the outcome of their inquiries into housing, health and social care, equalities and sustainable development goals. Of these reports, many reflected policy recommendations, evidence and analysis provided by the LGA. LGA Chairman Lord Porter gave evidence on housing to the Public Accounts Committee (PAC). Its report, ‘Housing: state of the nation’, notes that the number of homes built in England has lagged behind demand for housing for decades. “The effects of this long-running shortfall in housing reveal themselves in the growing barriers people face in getting on the property ladder, or simply affording their rent,” says the report. “The human costs are emphasised by the growing problem of homelessness, with the number of families living in temporary accommodation rising from 50,000 in 2011/12 to 72,000 in 2015/16. Almost 120,000 children in England live in temporary accommodation today.” The Communities and Local Government Committee also published a report on housing as part of their inquiry into the capacity of the house building industry. ‘Capacity in the homebuilding industry’ highlights that “many councils argue that their ability to build is restricted by the borrowing rules on their housing revenue accounts”. The report quotes the LGA’s evidence that local authorities are prudent in managing their housing debt. The report backs our recommendation on behalf of councils that all housing borrowing caps be raised. Another PAC report, this time on ‘Integrating health and social care’, concludes that the Better Care Fund has failed to save money, reduce emergency admissions to hospitals or reduce the number of days people remain stuck June 2017

lives needlessly restricted by features of the built environment,” the report notes. Government should “lead the charge” on inclusion and improving access, and make it easier for local planning authorities to follow this lead through revision and clarification of national planning policy and guidance. “Local plans should not be found sound without evidence that they address access for disabled people in terms of housing, public spaces and the wider built environment,” it concludes. Other reports published ahead of Parliament’s dissolution included ‘Brexit and health and social care – people and process’ from the Health Committee. This raises concerns about the status of more than 60,000 NHS and around 90,000 adult social care workers from other EU countries, and the continuing need for their services. There were also reports on the United Nations’ sustainable development goals in the UK, food waste, capital funding for schools, and local support for people with a learning disability. The Defence Committee published a report on the armed forces covenant and there were joint reports on children and young people’s mental health and supported housing.

“The NHS must find better ways to engage more genuinely with local government and local populations” in hospital unnecessarily. It says: “Integration must now be delivered in the context of the sustainability and transformation planning process. Placebased planning will be critical to the future of health and social care. “However, to succeed, the NHS must find better ways to engage more genuinely with local government and local populations.” The Women and Equalities Committee published its report, ‘Building for equality’, on access and inclusion in the built environment. This includes recommendations on planning following the LGA’s evidence to the inquiry. “All too often, disabled people find their

All the select committee reports mentioned above can be downloaded at www.parliament.uk/committees. Further information on the LGA’s parliamentary engagement is available on our website at www.local.gov.uk/parliament

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councillor Guidance for new members Congratulations on being elected as a councillor and welcome to local government and the LGA! The LGA is here to help you. With more than 400 local authorities in membership across England and Wales, we provide a vast network to share best practice with, and to support you in your various roles. We work with councils to support, promote and improve local government. As a councillor you will automatically have access to the full range of services that we provide. The LGA facilitates the sharing of ideas and best practice, helping councils build capacity to support one another. In the last year, 112 councils received a free ‘peer challenge’ to support them to improve, while 1,412 councillors and 3,145 officers attended one of our 100-plus free and subsidised events. This approach, helping to coordinate improvement work on behalf of councils, has helped them to deliver millions of pounds of savings. One of the LGA’s key roles is to campaign on behalf of our members on issues that councils have identified as priorities. We have campaigned on a wide range of topics, from local government funding to securing vital changes to the social care system, devolution and housing. As councils continue to face tough times, it is more important than ever for us to speak with one strong voice. Councils tell us that lobbying on their behalf and defending the reputation of local government in the media are two things they value most from the LGA. Being a politically-led organisation gives the LGA credibility to represent you on the national, and sometimes international, stage. One of our major roles is to engage with MPs and Peers in Westminster, officials at Whitehall and representatives at the EU. This is something that, as a councillor, you are able to get involved in, helping to shape the landscape of local government for the future. One of the LGA’s key resources for new councillors is its recently updated ‘Councillors’

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Cllr Stephen Canning (Con) Braintree District Council and Essex County Council “I grew up in Braintree, Essex, and it is a real privilege to represent this area on two councils. My advice to new councillors is never be afraid to ask for advice – it’s much better to find the answers to your questions than to struggle on in silence. “Set aside time to switch off – make sure your council work doesn’t take over every waking hour. This will ensure you don’t burn yourself out and can serve your residents well for years to come. “No matter how trivial a resident’s problem may seem, treat them and their issue with utmost respect.”

guide 2017’. It provides a useful introduction to the LGA and local government, the different roles councillors play, how councils make decisions, and the key policy issues you will face. Being a councillor is hard work and you will have many different roles to balance. As the locally elected representative, you will engage with residents and groups on a wide range of different issues and take on an important community leadership role. At the council you will contribute to the development of policies and strategies, including budget setting, and you may be involved in scrutinising council decisions or taking decisions on planning or licensing applications. A councillor’s primary role is to represent their ward or division and the people who live in it. Councillors provide a bridge between the community and the council. As well as being an advocate for your local residents and signposting them to the right www.local.gov.uk

Cllr Amanda Chadderton (Lab) Oldham Council

Cllr Liz Morris (Lib Dem) London Borough of Haringey

“What I enjoy most is the ability to make a difference. You have the knowledge and contacts to help resolve issues for people. Working full-time and being a cabinet member requires plenty of time management, so I have learnt to prioritise and say ‘no’ sometimes. “My tips for new councillors would be make friends – the first year is hard work and there will be ups and downs, so having people you can turn to makes it less daunting. “Prioritise casework – first and foremost you are there for your local residents. And enjoy it – being a councillor is a privilege, not a punishment!”

“My background is in marketing, and when I was a stay-at-home mum I volunteered with a local community group. I was never happier than in the throes of a campaign to stop or save something! Becoming a councillor felt like a natural next step. Being a councillor and having a family can be a juggle but I have become a master multi-tasker! “My top tips would be if something doesn’t make sense then do question it. The way things are done is not always the best way. “Don’t say yes to every meeting: prioritise, otherwise you will spend your life in meetings.”

people at the council, you will need to keep them informed about the issues that affect them. In order to understand and represent local views and priorities, you need to build strong relationships and encourage local people to make their views known and engage with you and the council. Good communication and engagement is central to being an effective councillor. As a local councillor, your residents will expect you to: • respond to their queries and investigate their concerns (casework) • c ommunicate council decisions that affect them • k now your patch and be aware of any issues or problems • k now and work with representatives of local organisations, interest groups and businesses • r epresent their views at council meetings • l ead local campaigns on their behalf.

The councillors’ guide also looks in detail at the other roles of a councillor, including community leadership, development of council policy, and planning and regulatory work. It discusses the importance of standards in public life (the Nolan principles), and the legal requirement to declare any disclosable pecuniary interests you or your partner have. Elsewhere, the guide provides a helpful introduction to what councils do and how local government is organised – taking into account the impact of successive reorganisations of local government and the ongoing impact of devolution. Councils are responsible for the economic, social and environmental wellbeing of their areas, and provide more than 800 services to local communities.

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Cllr Hannah Dalton (Residents’ Association) Epsom & Ewell Borough Council “Epsom & Ewell is one of the few councils controlled by an Independent group and not linked to a national political party. For this reason, I wanted to stand as a local councillor as it was an opportunity to be an active member of my community and make a positive and lasting contribution. “My tops tips are it’s a steep learning curve, but members and officers are always willing to help – all you need to do is ask. “Take the time to get to know officers, what they do and the challenges they face. Use the LGA resources available to you.”

There are also top tips on how to work well with council officers, and information on the public sector equality duty, support for councillors, allowances, communications, access to information and using data, local government finance, overview and scrutiny, and topical policy issues from health to housing – as well as helpful advice from serving councillors (see above). •

A s a new councillor, what are the challenges you are facing in your area and how can we help? In particular, what kind of articles and information would you like to see in first, which is your membership magazine? Please email karen.thornton@local.gov.uk to let us know.

For more information and to download the LGA’s ‘Councillors guide 2017’, please visit www.local.gov.uk/councillors-guide-2017

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Gold sponsor

Visit the Innovation Zone at the LGA Annual Conference The Innovation Zone is a vibrant, creative space for councils and other organisations to demonstrate, discuss and present their innovative solutions to local issues, learning from each other and inspiring new ideas. Delegates will have the chance to hear from colleagues not only representing individual and collaborating councils, but from the public and other sectors on a wide range of subjects.

Find out for yourself how councils can change lives for the better. www.local.gov.uk/conference www.local.gov.uk/case-studies #InnovateTuesday