Lgafirst571 by LGA publications

News and views from the Local Government Association “We are offering the next government a ready-made, fully costed, long-term answer to the hard questions they will face when the dust settles on 8 May 2015.” Cllr David Sparks, LGA Chair, p3

P8 Annual conference

What the next government should do in its first 100 days

P12 Deepening devolution The route to economic growth?

P13 Housing crisis Building the homes we need

Fortnightly Issue 571 19 July 2014

P14 Parliament The deregulation agenda

EDITORIAL

Family affair Like many of you, I worked for a local authority before becoming a councillor – as a careers adviser in Birmingham for more than 30 years. This gave me an insider’s view of a local service being run well by local people. What I loved wasn’t the hours or the pay, it was the satisfaction I got every now and then when someone thanked me for helping them. I got the same satisfaction from helping my constituents as a councillor as I did my clients as a careers adviser. What that taught me was that in local government we are not just a ‘sector’, we are also a ‘family’. So, as I take up the LGA chairmanship, I would like to thank all of you and all our staff for continuing to deliver local services to local communities through such challenging times. As a former careers adviser, it will come as no surprise that I think we need to do everything we can to ensure that jobs in councils are well-paid and secure, with enough satisfaction so that we can genuinely talk about a career in local government being available, desirable and realisable. In other words, we need a renaissance in local government careers. And I’m asking for your help to make this a reality. As LGA Chair, I will try and ensure every council worker gets the credit they deserve within the very tight budgets we’re all experiencing. And I will stand up for local government – councillors and staff alike. You are the real driving force behind our nation. You are the ones who make a difference to the lives of your residents, and I look forward to serving you. Cllr David Sparks is LGA Chair

Editor Karen Thornton Design Liberata Design Advertising Nabeel Saeed Write to first, Local Government House, Smith Square, London SW1P 3HZ T (editorial) 020 7664 3294 T (advertising) 020 7664 3157 email first@local.gov.uk Photography Photofusion and Ingimage unless otherwise stated Print BGP Ltd, Bicester Circulation 18,400 (July 2014)

Trusts ‘to hold schools to account’

The confusing structures of school accountability should be streamlined and bureaucracy stripped away to give parents an easily-identifiable local body responsible for holding their children’s school to account, the LGA has said. It is calling on the next government to require all types of schools to work together in local education trusts, as part of its ‘First 100 Days’ proposals (see right). Trusts would also drive school improvement, with local councils holding them to account on behalf of parents and children. Currently, the 3,500 academies and free schools are accountable to Whitehall, which acknowledges that it lacks the capacity and local knowledge to provide oversight. Councils are still responsible for 84 per cent of schools but lack adequate powers to hold schools to account. Cllr David Simmonds, Chairman of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “Every child deserves a good education at a local school

Inside this issue 05 Policy

Cash raised for bonds agency

06 Letters

Homes for young people

08 first feature

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.

FIRST NEWS

07 Opinion

Social care and health funding

10 Conference

Policies for the next government – the first 100 days

Political leadership and commentary

15 By-elections Pointers to the general election

The LGA has set out its offer to the next government – one that could save the public sector £11 billion as well as dealing with the issues that matter most to local people, writes Cllr David Sparks By the end of this Parliament, local government will have made £20 billion of savings – a cut of 40 per cent. It’s all too easy for government, and us, to talk in abstract numbers, but they have real consequences for real people.

Funding gap

To unsubscribe email first@oscar-research.co.uk

and establishing education trusts will empower councils to ensure this happens across their local area. “The current two-tier system of accountability is confusing for mums and dads and, with different organisations responsible for different elements of education, there are too many possibilities for issues raised by them to slip through the net. “Education trusts would strip away this bureaucracy and provide an easily-identifiable place which parents can turn to. “Additionally, education trusts would bring a shift away from the tick-box culture of Ofsted inspections by fostering peer support and reviews which will drive school improvement. “Councils will be able to intervene should there be a problem but otherwise, through mutual support, we see no reason why there cannot be a shift away from Ofsted inspections to peer support and enabling the profession to deliver for children.”

As councillors, we’ve all done our best to make sure that our residents get the services they value and rely on. However, inevitably, there have been some cuts. And by 2020 we will be facing a £12.4 billion funding gap. To meet these challenges, we will have to continue to change the face of local – and central – government. Last year, my predecessor Sir Merrick Cockell launched Rewiring Public Services, sparking a debate across the country on devolution. Councils debated the ideas in their chambers, and all sides of the political divide agreed that there needs to be a fundamental re-think of the way power is balanced between Whitehall and local areas. This year, we’re taking the ideas from Rewiring even further. We have started by asking people about the things they want for their families that will change their lives for the better, now and in the future. What they told us is they want the basics: healthy children; the skills to get a job; a home of their own; quality care centred on people, not institutions; a place for their child at a good, local school; and decent roads. But if we are going to be truly free to do the things our residents want us to do, we need the next government to change the way it thinks, acts, and works with us in local government. So this year the LGA has launched ‘Investing in our nation’s future’, a fully costed plan of action for the next government’s first 100 days in power. Our offer is this: if you invest in our nation’s future, commit to devolving power to local areas and joining up the money spent on local public services, and give us a financial

FIRST FEATURE

settlement tied to the life of a parliament, we will be able to help you solve the problems which concern our residents. Let’s start with jobs. As a former careers advisor, this is a subject very close to my heart. The biggest problem facing people looking for work is lack of the appropriate skills. In 2012, we trained 94,000 hairdressers for only 18,000 jobs, but fewer than half of the construction workers we need. The results of this failure couldn’t be clearer: one in five young people are unemployed and, if we don’t act now, a third of our young people will still be out of work or underemployed in four years’ time. We are the ones who understand what skills our local businesses need – not the mandarins and ministers in Westminster. We are in a perfect position to connect local employers with the skilled workforce that they need, to build bridges between local schools and local businesses, and make sure that students leave school ready for the world of work.

Careers By bringing together the many different employment and skills programmes – both local and central – we could help stop people falling through the cracks and get them climbing the career ladder. The result? Long-term unemployment cut by a third. What about right at the start of a person’s life? Today, more parents are being forced to choose between a local school and a good school and, with more than 3,500 academies and free schools reporting to Whitehall, we have a two-tier system under which academy pupils receive more funding. Building schools is a long-term investment, so we are calling for five-year budgets to let councils plan for tomorrow to ensure all children can have a place at a good, local school. We’re also offering the next government a ready-made solution to the housing crisis. Last year, fewer than 110,000 new

homes were completed, but from 1946 to 1980 councils were regularly building 100,000 homes a year. The world has changed since the mass council house building of the past. But if the next government can put us on a level playing field with the private sector and social landlords, we can deliver half a million new homes over the course of the next parliament.

Health Adult social care makes up almost £2 billion of the £5.8 billion funding gap faced by councils over the next two years, and population changes are adding nearly £400 million to social care budgets every year. Here, we need a real commitment to pooling health and care budgets. We need to ease transformation by thinking long-term – ‘investing to save’ and not just ‘saving to invest’. And we need a transformation fund to manage the transition from hospital care to home care, bringing the acute sector on board. If we do all of this, we should reduce hospital admissions and save taxpayers £3.9 billion a year. We – local government – can deliver all of this for our nation, and more. Our offer to the next government also tackles childhood obesity, the harm caused by smoking and excessive drinking, and our crumbling roads network (see first 570). It’s an offer I believe no party can refuse, but they might. They may applaud our ambition but claim that we just can’t afford to pay for all of this. In fact, we estimate we can deliver all of these things and save the taxpayer around £11 billion – almost £200 for every man, woman and child in England and Wales. Of course, the pledges we’re making are only as strong as you – our members. You are the ones with the skills and the local knowledge to deliver this bold vision, one that will give every person you represent a good school close to where they live,

a home they can afford, the skills to be able to work, and the care they need when they become old and frail.

The next government must be bold, making the changes which will transform lives tomorrow. We’ve all been involved in influencing our party manifestos and we need to continue to talk to our MPs and ministers at every opportunity, at our party conferences, and right up until the moment the ink dries on the manifestos.

15 Last word

All photos © Chris Sharp

The First 100 Days pledges • Build half a million more homes • Offer every child a place at a good school • Halve the number of unemployed young people • Reduce long-term unemployment by a third • Support people to live independently at home • Inject £1 billion a year into a much needed programme to address the pothole backlog • Help the three and a half million overweight or obese children • Ensure more people live healthier lives and tackle the harm caused by smoking and excessive drinking • See http://100days.local.gov.uk for more on ‘Investing in Our Nation’s Future: the First 100 Days of the Next Government’, including a tool for creating an infographic with data from your own local area

Cllr David Sparks is Chair of the LGA. This is an edited version of his speech to last week’s LGA annual conference in Bournemouth. For the full version, please see www.local.gov.uk/chairmans-/speeches

FIRST FEATURE

Giving and receiving as a peer

‘Devolve powers to boost jobs’ Radical new powers must be given to councils to transform the lives of millions of people who could be trapped in a future unemployment ‘twilight zone’. LGA Chair Cllr David Sparks has warned that in less than a decade “a lost generation” of eight million people could be without a job or in work they are over-qualified for. This will lead to swathes of people with skills mismatched for jobs, risking them being in low paid, insecure work, and reliant on benefits, at a huge cost to people’s lives and the local and national economy. The LGA has pledged to reduce long-term unemployment by a third and halve the number of jobless young people – if, in return, the next government localises back-to-work and skills schemes, and works with councils to increase skills levels, boost teenage participation in education and training, and bring together work support, Universal Credit and the troubled families programme. The jobs pledges are among a series of proposals in a new LGA report, ‘Investing In Our Nation’s

Future: the First 100 Days of the Next Government’. It sets out a range of policies for an incoming government which will save the public purse £11 billion, tackle the country’s housing crisis, offer every child a place at a good school, address the pothole backlog and improve the nation’s health by radically devolving power to local areas (see www.local.gov. uk/100days and related stories in this edition of first). Cllr Sparks said: “Last year, we laid the foundations of our response to the challenges that public services face with our campaign Rewiring Public Services. This year, we’re going a step further – offering the next government a ready-made, fully costed, long-term answer to the hard questions they will face when the dust settles on 8 May 2015. “These significant proposals include councils being at the forefront of tackling the growing skills crisis. We have a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to enable everyone to benefit from growth and ensure they are fully equipped with the skills they need to compete for future jobs.”

Future leader?

News in brief L hanging chairs C

Last week’s annual conference marked a change of political leadership at the LGA, with Labour’s Cllr David Sparks succeeding Conservative Sir Merrick Cockell as Chair of the organisation. Cllr Sparks led cross-party tributes to his predecessor. “He has been a chairman who has genuinely been respected by all parties, from all councils and in all parts of the country, and a voice that quite literally has united local government and spoken up for local people with integrity, passion and commitment,” he said. In his farewell speech, Sir Merrick said: “The LGA must continue to be the party of local government. If we focus on this – and what holds us together – then we will be able to make a difference for local people and their families. In David Sparks, local government will have a strong voice.”

Obesity action fund

The LGA is calling for a fifth of the current VAT on fast food, soft drinks and confectionary to go to councils to tackle obesity, as part of its ‘First 100 Days’ programme for an incoming government. The extra £1 billion could help transform the lives of the three and half million overweight or obese children. Currently, health problems associated with being overweight cost the country £5 billion a year. LGA Chair Cllr David Sparks said: “This extra money would be a massive boost in the battle to combat obesity. It would help tackle head-on the crippling problems often associated with the condition, like diabetes.”

Council complaints

Graeme Kane was crowned winner of the fifth Local Government Challenge after winning over the judges with ‘Community Connect’, a project which aims to create a national network of community resilience teams to support the public sector in times of emergency and build community cohesion. Mr Kane, Strategic Leadership Manager at Mole Valley Council, was presented with his trophy and the £10,000 Bruce-Lockhart Scholarship by Shadow Communities Secretary Hilary Benn at last week’s LGA annual conference. He will use the scholarship to develop his project, and to fund visits to rural councils’ resilience tams and similar projects in Europe.

Complaints about the handling of tax and benefits by councils rose by 26 per cent and disputes over the provision of social care by 16 per cent in 2013/14, according to a new annual review published by the Local Government Ombudsman. Complaints about tax and benefits were also most likely to be upheld. Cllr Peter Fleming, Chair of the LGA’s Improvement and Innovation Board, said: “It is unsurprising that issues around council tax and adult social care are areas of concern for complainants as this is where there has been increasing pressure on budgets and demand for services.”

FIRST NEWS

News in brief Personalised care packages

Plans for councils and the NHS to pool budgets to provide personalised care packages for the most vulnerable patients were announced at the LGA’s annual conference by new NHS England Chief Executive Simon Stevens (pictured). Highlighting the need to focus on avoidable hospital and care home admissions among older people, and acknowledging local authorities’ experience of budgeting for individuals, he said: “There’s a lot we can learn from you and we hope you will support us.” He said NHS England and the LGA would be working on a prospectus for councils which wanted to pursue the plan. Cllr Katie Hall, Chair of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board, said that while council leaders will explore with NHS England ways to make care more personalised, the new budgets “will not resolve the structural problems in the health and care system or solve the funding crisis in social care”.

Long service recognised

A councillor first elected when Winston Churchill was still prime minister was the guest of honour at the LGA Independent Group’s dinner at the LGA’s annual conference last week. Cllr Charles Swift was elected to Peterborough City Council in July 1954 as a Labour councillor. He became an Independent in the early 1990s. Cllr Marianne Overton, Leader of the LGA’s Independent Group, said: “Cllr Swift gave a powerful vision of local government with significant influence on the lives of all of its citizens; where more services were under one democratic roof; and where local councillors could bring real improvements to the lives of residents.”

first summer break

This is the last edition of first prior to its August publication break. The magazine is next out on 13 September, and will feature previews of the main political parties’ autumn conferences. You can keep up-to-date with news from the LGA at www.local.gov.uk/media-releases. Meanwhile, do keep sending us your letters and ideas for stories, to first@local.gov.uk

FIRST NEWS

Rates and notices Councils and the newspaper industry should come together to “explore the case for innovation” in publishing statutory notices, Communities Secretary Eric Pickles (pictured) told last week’s LGA annual conference. Last year, the LGA made the case for removing the legal duty on councils to place public notices in local papers after research showed it was costing £26 million a year, and that in many cases only a minority of residents saw them. An LGA survey found that 84 per cent of councils believe there are less expensive and/or more effective ways to distribute information. However, speaking in Bournemouth, Mr Pickles dismissed this as a “sterile debate”. “I want to bring councils and the newspaper industry together to work on pilots and the case for innovation,” he said. “Newspapers need to embrace new technology to survive. But they should not face unfair competition from council newspapers. The 21st century independent media offers councils the chance to reach out, inform and engage – an alternative to the depths of obscurity in a council website or

lavatory without a light.” He had opened his speech by thanking local authorities for their relief effort during last winter’s floods and referred to research showing that public satisfaction with council services has risen in spite of budget cuts. Decentralisation measures taken since 2010 will save over £1 billion in the next 10 years, and councils now keep half of business rates, according to Mr Pickles. “I want the local share of business rates to steadily rise,” he told delegates, adding in response to questions: “I would be very disappointed if we couldn’t by the year 2020 have got it up to the higher 80s or lower 90s in terms of percentage.”

Universal Credit partners Eleven local partnerships that will trial “innovative” new approaches to Universal Credit have been announced by Lord Freud, Minister for Welfare Reform. The trials will help jobseekers get online and manage their finances on a monthly basis, and will involve partnerships between local authorities and job centres. Proposals include providing mentors, debt management advice and support on accessing advice on housing options and drug and alcohol treatment. Lord Freud said the innovative approaches would involve different types of co-location, such as multiagency sites, one-stop shops, and outreach in the community; different ways of tackling multiple problems – including new digital data-sharing, one-to-one key workers, and peer

mentoring; or different types of intervention, such as referrals to credit unions, wi-fi in schools and libraries, and using social media to keep in touch with individuals. “All of this is about developing a breadth and depth of evidence that has not existed before,” he said, at the LGA’s annual conference last week. He also used his speech to promote the commissioning of social impact bonds by local authorities, and cited Essex, Peterborough and Nottingham as among those that have led the way. Social impact bonds provide up-front funding to pay for additional services to help improve outcomes for service users, with investors risking their money based on the outcomes that will be achieved.

firstpolicy independent or independent living at the age of 16 or 17 results in them being placed in accommodation that is neither safe nor suitable. The Department for Education should consult urgently with local authorities to determine a reasonable time frame for the outright ban on the use of B&Bs for looked after young people.”

Finance

Bonds agency

Twenty-two councils – a cross-party mix of districts, counties, cities and London boroughs from up and down the country – have pledged almost £3 million towards the setting up of a municipal bonds agency. The amount far exceeds the £400,000 investment target set by the LGA. Former LGA Chairman Sir Merrick Cockell told last week’s annual conference: “We have not only reached our July fundraising target, we are on course to hugely beat it. I’m confident this investor base will grow significantly over the rest of the year.” A municipal bonds agency could save more than £1 billion in borrowing costs for councils investing in new infrastructure like homes, roads and business hubs.

Education Funding cuts Council leaders are warning the Department for Education about the consequences of a further £200 million cut to education services. The LGA and SOLACE have warned the proposed reduction to the Education Services Grant will put further pressure on councils’ ability to support school improvement and hold schools to account. Cllr David Simmonds, Chair of the LGA’s Children and Young People Board, said: “Mums and dads need to know that whatever type of school their child goes to, it will be subject to rigorous challenge to ensure high standards.” Mark Rogers, SOLACE President, said: “The DfE’s reluctance to address the confusion surrounding the oversight of schools will only be worsened by this further

reduction in the resources available to councils to act as champions for best education for every child.”

Finance Fiscal devolution MPs have called for the transfer of a range of tax raising powers to councils, including business rates, stamp duty, council tax and other smaller taxes and charges, along with greater flexibility to borrow for investment. The Communities and Local Government Select Committee said this would boost local growth and reenergise local democracy. Chair Clive Betts MP said: “Fiscal devolution in England is an idea whose moment has arrived. The time has come for government to join with local authorities to push this agenda forward. Together they should work to establish a devolutionary framework

which, while addressing need, offers clear incentives and benefits to authorities that take more control of tax and spending.”

Young people 16-plus care The Government has been urged to ban the emergency use of bed and breakfast accommodation by councils to temporarily house young people. In a report about 16-plus care options, the Education Select Committee also calls for young adults not to be forced to leave care before they turn 21. Committee Chair Graham Stuart MP said: “Looked after young people moving towards adulthood deserve a well-supported transition to independence rather than an abrupt push out of care. For too many looked after young people, their ambition to move to semi-

Procurement strategy Councillors are being encouraged to signal their commitment to the strategic importance of procurement by appointing a member champion. The measure features in a new national procurement strategy, launched at the LGA’s annual conference last week by the LGA and the National Advisory Group for Local Government Procurement, following requests from the sector. The strategy calls for councils to demonstrate their commitment to procurement excellence under four main themes: making savings, supporting local economies, leadership, and modernising procurement. To download the strategy and the Councillor Guide to Procurement, visit www.lg-procurement.org.uk

Public health Ward-level data The LGA has published a map of health and wellbeing boards across England which can help councillors and others find out about differences in residents’ health across all wards within a local authority. Measures include years of life expectancy, the extent of poor health and early deaths. The map, at www.local.gov.uk/health-andwellbeing-boards, also explores measures of a healthy lifestyle such as obesity and alcohol misuse, and causes of poor health such as unemployment and poor skills. Email Philippa.lynch@local.gov.uk

FIRST POLICY

sound bites Cllr Steven Norman (Lab, Lichfield) “Another excellent Local Government Conference this week – with Labour’s @CllrDSparks its new Chairman, #lgaconf14.” www.twitter.com/CllrSGNorman Federation of Master Builders “@fmbuilders supports @LGANews call to government to lift the borrowing cap to build more new homes.” www.twitter.com/fmbuilders Cllr Morris Bright (Con, Hertsmere) “Large round of well-deserved – and cross party – applause for outgoing LGA Chairman, Sir Merrick Cockell #LGAConf14” www.twitter.com/Morris__Bright Cllr Klara Sudbury (Lib Dem, Cheltenham) “Very much enjoyed my 1st Children & Families Scrutiny Committee meeting at Shire Hall this morning, swapped from Health with @nigelprobbins.” www.twitter.com/CllrKSudbury Fraser Nelson, Editor, The Spectator “Unsung heroes of austerity era are local gvt workers who have swallowed huge cuts and *improved* services.” www.twitter.com/FraserNelson

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

FIRST COMMENT

letters

STAR LETTER

Affordable housing I have spent the past five years or so chasing, supporting and helping to deliver some 40 social homes for mainly young people here in the far west of Cornwall, with another 20 or so in the pipeline. I think this is a good record for a very expensive, rural area with one of highest percentages of second homes in the country. But with a preference for registered social landlord (RSL) schemes with a mix of social, shared ownership and market-cost housing aimed at people with a local connection, I baulk at some of the proposals of private developers to

build a mix of affordable and marketcost housing with ‘affordable’ prices still far out of reach of local people in low-wage economy Cornwall. RSLs, in conjunction with local authorities, need to step up their game and focus on delivering more desperately needed social houses for local people. Moreover, there needs to be a positive move to take advantage of central government’s emerging £23 billion affordable housing programme funding pot. Cllr John Keeling MBE (Con) Cornwall Council

OPINION

Healthy future? Economic malaise

In ‘The LEP jungle’ (first 569), Alex Pratt gives a succinct account of the economic malaise which has afflicted our nation through a half century of de-industrialisation. He explains the decline of so many of our once prominent manufacturers although fails to mention the governmentimposed measures which had sustained our earlier growth. In common with many of the present emerging economies, our industries had flourished under supportive conditions including exchange controls, unregulated employment, import restrictions, tariffs, conditional foreign acquisitions and preferential trading agreements. The article explained the intention to invest in a Growth Fund and stressed the importance of partnership with local authorities guided by business leaders, yet was unspecific in explaining exactly how £2 billion of grants can be expended to greatest benefit. Suggestions might include enhanced training in skills and management, development of advanced technologies, greater investment in automation, or financial support for long-established companies endangered by low-wage overseas competitors. Local enterprise partnerships could provide the crucial stimulant for economic regeneration so we deserve to be told exactly how they intend to achieve this vital objective. Cllr Phillip Morris-Jones (Con) Warwickshire County Council

Party puppets?

Further to ‘Taking voters for granted?’ (first 570), the writer applauds the high turnout achieved of 55 per cent in the by-election he won under the Green political party flag. However, I am reasonably confident that there will be higher turnouts in other wards. I recall a by-election in Redcar and Cleveland

when the Labour candidate took the Guisborough seat from the Conservatives by 13 votes on a 61.9 per cent turnout. However this was at the same time as the national elections, when the national Labour candidate also won with a slightly lower turnout percentage than the local candidate. While it may be true that some “political puppets” may take the electorate for granted, a lot of political party people do do the leg work – and sometimes, because they wear a political badge, lose their seats. The message should always be that politics is not an exact science. Politicians should be always aware that true power lies with the people, and rightly so. Cllr George Dunning (Lab) Redcar and Cleveland Council

Local democracy

A few months ago, the Council of Europe concluded a peer review of local democracy in the UK, as part of its work to identify common European standards for measuring and safeguarding local democracy as set out in the European Charter of Local Self-Government. The conclusions highlighted improvements since the last evaluation in 1998, particularly through devolution and greater localism. However, the report also noted some areas of concern around restricted tax raising powers, dependence on government grants, lack of financial resources, and limitations on councils’ ability to manage local affairs without intervention from central government. It is now incumbent on government to not only recognise the report’s recommendations, but to plot a way forward in order to attain full compliance with the charter. Cllr Clarence Barrett (Residents’ Association) Havering Council

To submit a letter for publication email first@local.gov.uk or write to The Editor, first, Local Government House, Smith Square, London SW1P 3HZ. Letters may be edited and published online

Recent weeks have seen frequent headlines about an impending funding crisis in the NHS. The LGA’s future funding outlook and ADASS’s budget survey have also highlighted the huge pressures on social care. The contention of the independent commission I am leading is that to tackle these twin problems effectively, we need to think differently about the post-war settlement which established the NHS and social care as separate services – not just throw a little more short-term funding at the NHS or use money from the health budget to prop up social care services. There are familiar frustrations with the disputed boundary between health and social care. But our biggest concern is with the unfairness in entitlements that stems from the sharp divide between health care free at the point of use and a means-tested social care system which is becoming progressively less generous. There is a great difference between public provision for those with cancer and dementia. In seeking to resolve this fundamental inequity, and rise to the challenges of an ageing population and health care costs which are being pushed up by medical advances, we need to look beyond the present period of public spending austerity. Importantly, we must also keep the individual in need of care firmly in front of us. Our basic proposition is that we should move to a single, ring-fenced budget, with health and social care jointly commissioned. We are listening to concerns that this may mean prevention gets left out. But we also need to think about adequacy of funding to tackle the shortfall in meeting present commitments and rise to the challenge of more equal treatment for those in need of social care. Some of this funding may come from NHS efficiencies or from redesigning services more around individuals. But this is unlikely to be enough. So the commission is looking at ways to raise extra revenue – everything from general taxation, social insurance, reducing benefits for pensioners, and increasing NHS charges. These are uncomfortable topics. But we believe that the current settlement, especially for those in need of social care, is unsustainable in a 21st century developed economy. Kate Barker is Chair of the Commission on the Future of Health and Social Care in England, set up by The King’s Fund in June 2013

FIRST COMMENT

By the end of this Parliament, local government will have made £20 billion of savings – a cut of 40 per cent. It’s all too easy for government, and us, to talk in abstract numbers, but they have real consequences for real people.

Funding gap As councillors, we’ve all done our best to make sure that our residents get the services they value and rely on. However, inevitably, there have been some cuts. And by 2020 we will be facing a £12.4 billion funding gap. To meet these challenges, we will have to continue to change the face of local – and central – government. Last year, my predecessor Sir Merrick Cockell launched Rewiring Public Services, sparking a debate across the country on devolution. Councils debated the ideas in their chambers, and all sides of the political divide agreed that there needs to be a fundamental re-think of the way power is balanced between Whitehall and local areas. This year, we’re taking the ideas from Rewiring even further. We have started by asking people about the things they want for their families that will change their lives for the better, now and in the future. What they told us is they want the basics: healthy children; the skills to get a job; a home of their own; quality care centred on people, not institutions; a place for their child at a good, local school; and decent roads. But if we are going to be truly free to do the things our residents want us to do, we need the next government to change the way it thinks, acts, and works with us in local government. So this year the LGA has launched ‘Investing in our nation’s future’, a fully costed plan of action for the next government’s first 100 days in power. Our offer is this: if you invest in our nation’s future, commit to devolving power to local areas and joining up the money spent on local public services, and give us a financial

FIRST FEATURE

The LGA has set out its offer to the next government – one that could save the public sector £11 billion as well as dealing with the issues that matter most to local people, writes Cllr David Sparks homes were completed, but from 1946 to 1980 councils were regularly building 100,000 homes a year. The world has changed since the mass council house building of the past. But if the next government can put us on a level playing field with the private sector and social landlords, we can deliver half a million new homes over the course of the next parliament.

a home they can afford, the skills to be able to work, and the care they need when they become old and frail.

The First 100 Days pledges • • • • • • • •

Build half a million more homes Offer every child a place at a good school Halve the number of unemployed young people Reduce long-term unemployment by a third Support people to live independently at home Inject £1 billion a year into a much needed programme to address the pothole backlog Help the three and a half million overweight or obese children Ensure more people live healthier lives and tackle the harm caused by smoking and excessive drinking

•

See http://100days.local.gov.uk for more on ‘Investing in Our Nation’s Future: the First 100 Days of the Next Government’, including a tool for creating an infographic with data from your own local area

FIRST FEATURE

More than 1,200 delegates heard from 150 speakers at the LGA’s 18th annual conference in Bournemouth last week. You can view webcasts of the keynote speakers and find out more about the LGA’s First 100 Days campaign at www.local.gov.uk/annual-conference. Here, the LGA’s political group leaders share their reflections on the biggest local government event of the year, and (right) you can find out more about the Innovation Zone

Driving devolution

Campaign focus

Local democracy

This year’s LGA annual conference was a watershed moment for the devolution agenda. On the Monday prior to last week’s conference, Labour Leader Ed Miliband launched the party’s Local Government Innovation Taskforce report, which sets out the blueprint for a radical, placebased devolution. On Tuesday, the LGA launched our ‘Investing in Our Nation’s Future: the First 100 Days of the Next Government’ document, which sets out ambitious goals for the next government and showed how local government can help deliver them. Throughout the three days, among the hustle of fringe meetings and packed conference sessions, it was invigorating to hear ideas from councillors of all parties and from all parts of the country. It is clear that while our challenges are similar the solutions are different in every area and we all need the tools to do the job. Conference finished with a great speech from Shadow Communities Minister Hilary Benn, who said: “The tide of English devolution is rising.” I believe it is an idea whose time has come. There is a widow of opportunity for local government for the next six months to carve devolution into the general election manifestos. At this conference we made a great start.

At the start of the LGA’s conference, we said farewell to Sir Merrick Cockell as he stood down after three successful years as our chairman. The tributes to Merrick from across the political divide reflected the success of his chairmanship and the achievements of the LGA during that period. The launch of the First 100 Days campaign provides the focus for the LGA’s work between now and next year’s general election as we seek to influence and shape the national policy debate. I was delighted to chair Communities Secretary Eric Pickles’ session at conference. Eric delivered a timely reminder of just how much power this government has devolved to councils and the contrast with the centralist policies of the previous administration, which even they have now acknowledged. Significantly, Eric also used his speech to affirm his 100 per cent commitment to the Better Care Fund and, as is always the case, he had a bit of fun during the questions and answers session. I was also pleased to welcome Brandon Lewis, Baroness Stowell, Greg Clark, Bob Neill and Lord Freud to the conference. Particular thanks are due to Bob and Greg for being very well received guest speakers at our LGA Conservative Group AGM and dinner respectively.

It has been a busy time for the LGA Liberal Democrat Group, with the LGA’s annual conference following on from last month’s Lib Dem local government conference in Milton Keynes. We have always been proud of the Lib Dem commitment to community politics and the message from our group meetings was clear: local democracy and local councillors matter. Our meetings were very productive with Lib Dem councillors feeding in ideas that they want to see included in next year’s manifesto and the role that they can play in the next 12 months. Thank you to all who attended. We were pleased to be joined by LGA VicePresidents Tim Farron MP and Annette Brooke MP at our group dinner so they can take those messages back to Westminster. Many ideas in the LGA’s First 100 Days campaign are also long-standing Liberal Democrat demands: every child to have a place at a good local school, under local democratic accountability; cutting unemployment; and integrating health and social care to give more power to service users, to name just three. So whatever the composition of the next government, Liberal Democrat councillors will be looking forward to campaigning for these policies on the doorstep, at our party conference and when working with parliamentarians.

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

FIRST FEATURE

Cllr Gary Porter is Leader of the LGA’s Conservative Group

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

Leading the way

Supporting councillors The lovely Bournemouth Bay welcomed a vibrant crowd of lively councillors and officers for a packed three days, discussing new legislation, ideas and policy, centred around the LGA’s bold, cross-party offer from local to central government to invest in our nation’s future. The Independent Group’s work this year supporting councils and councillors was rewarded with a packed opening meeting and AGM, and an impressive annual report from the fastest growing political group at the LGA, Two of our 12 council leaders shared their experiences; Bristol Mayor George Ferguson and Cornwall Council’s Cllr John Pollard. And Cllr Clarence Barrett, leader of the largest Independent opposition group, at Havering Council, talked about effective methods of influence on behalf of residents. As council funding reduces, we need to support our local business economy to keep the money flowing in our communities and reduce pressure on local authorities, and we heard how this is being done by the British Independent Retailers Network and Suffolk County Council. Our group also hosted the Women’s Local Government Society event, with speakers from the Fawcett Society and Gravitas. And at our annual dinner, Children’s Commissioner Dr Maggie Atkinson gave a clear and thoughtprovoking talk about the far-reaching consequences of not putting children at the heart of our decision making.

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

All photos © Chris Sharp

Three buzzy and engaging days at the Innovation Zone at the LGA’s annual conference kicked off with a lively session setting out how political leaders are driving innovation in their councils and local communities. The leaders of Surrey, Durham, Wiltshire and Islington councils shared their thoughts and insights, in summary concluding that the following are vital for driving innovation: • being brave and supporting officers to be innovative • being leaders of place, not just of councils • working with and understanding people’s real lives to best address their needs • establishing joint visions between members and staff • taking people with you • being entrepreneurial – for example through investing in solar panels and broadband services • collaboration, not competition. • Additionally, they felt it is vital to have shared outcomes between partners: for example, both the council and health providers wanting to get local people into work, with the result that it improves their health. Councillors and officers from more than 60 councils took part in the Innovation Zone over the three days, demonstrating examples of cutting edge work in redesigning services, demand management, data, technology and transformation. See under ‘innovation zone’ at www.local.gov.uk/annualconference for more information. The Innovation Zone was also the place to find out more about the LGA’s recently launched Highlighting Leadership programme for councillors, managers and top strategic teams – see first 569 or visit www.local.gov.uk/ councillor-development. And it was the launch point for an LGA report on ‘Transforming local public services using technology and digital tools and approaches’, see www.local. gov.uk/publications Reflecting on the success of the zone, Cllr Peter Fleming, Chairman of the LGA’s Improvement and Innovation Board, said: “With the financial challenges ahead, innovation will have to be key to the way in which we design and deliver services for our residents. I want to thank everyone involved, from LGA staff to the councils who presented and those who listened to them for making the dream of the Innovation Zone come true.”

FIRST FEATURE

Shadow Communities Secretary Hilary Benn returned to the LGA’s annual conference last week with proposals to transfer powers from Whitehall to town halls. He presented them as part of a wider cross-party discussion on devolution

Deeper devolution A year ago, in response to the LGA’s launch of Rewiring Public Services, Hilary Benn called for an ‘English new deal’ in the wake of devolution to Scotland and Wales. This time round, he concluded in his speech to annual conference: “The tide in favour of English devolution is rising. This is your moment. I know you will seize it.”

Referring to recent Labour Party policy reviews and reports, he set out proposals for greater powers and devolved funding, in exchange for more accountability. On economic growth and infrastructure investment, £30 billion would be transferred to councils and combined authorities to work closely with business, and combined authorities would be allowed to retain 100 per cent of business rates, he said.

Whole person Councils would have control of £1.5 billion to get 19 to 24-year-olds into the right vocational course, and a new local service for under-21s would bring together Jobcentre Plus and local authority support for young people under one roof. Health and social care would be brought together around the ‘whole person’ through individual commissioning plans and pooled budgets. And Sure Start children’s centres would be bolstered to ensure

FIRST FEATURE

childcare and health services use them as hubs for joined-up family support and early years services. In return, councils would be expected to set up councillor-led local public accounts committees to ensure accountability and scrutiny. Mr Benn’s speech preceded and ran into a wider conference plenary session on the case for deeper devolution. Cllr David Hodge, Chairman of the LGA’s People and Places Board and Leader of Surrey County Council, told delegates there had been some “encouraging steps” on devolution, but that there was a “pressing need to move faster and further, not least because of the fragile state of our economic recovery”.

Trust “The economic and social challenges this country faces demand public services that are designed around the needs of people and places, not organisations and bureaucracy. Local government needs to be trusted because local government knows best what local people want,” he said.

‘We really need an incoming government, whatever party it is, to start to commit to removing the barriers that are in the way of joining up local services.” Businessman Sir John Peace focused on the need for greater regional autonomy when it comes to

economic growth and local services, emphasising the importance of supporting small and medium sized enterprises to grow by exporting to emerging countries – and the importance of good schools to attracting business investment into deprived areas. And, as Chairman of the Independent Commission on Economic Growth and the Future of Public Services in Non-Metropolitan England, he said increasing the country’s competitiveness could not be left to London and the cities alone.

“If we want to see increasing prosperity that benefits everyone then we need to make sure that policies are designed to foster non-metropolitan growth as well as growth in our cities. If both thrive, then the whole country will benefit,” he added. Cllr Sir Richard Leese, Chair of the LGA’s City Region Board and Leader of Manchester City Council, concurred, noting: “There is a real synergy between what our cities do and what our more rural county areas do, and we need as a nation to exploit that synergy so that we can all benefit together. “It’s no longer that devolution and decentralisation work better, get better outcomes and deliver more for less. There is now a political imperative as well, because we can’t continue to talk about devolution in Wales, Scotland and Northern Ireland without talking about devolution in England.” •

You can listen to the full debate on devolution at the LGA’s annual conference – and to other plenary sessions – by clicking on ‘webcast’ at www.local.gov.uk/annual-conference

All photos © Chris Sharp

House building remains stubbornly low – so how do we build the homes we need?

Government figures show that 221,000 new homes are needed every year. Yet currently, based on last year’s figures, only half that amount is being built. In a decade, growing at this rate, the total shortage of homes would be over a million and equal the population of Birmingham.

Prices More than three million adults aged 20 to 34 are now living with their parents, house prices are rising faster than average earnings and there are 1.7 million households on waiting lists for affordable homes across England. But the LGA believes local government can build half a million more homes over the next parliament – if the next government delivers a raft of new measures that would free councils to act. The housing pledge joins commitments on improving schools, reducing unemployment and tackling potholes contained in the LGA’s blueprint for what a new government should do after next year’s general election. ‘Investing in Our Nation’s Future: the First 100 Days’ was launched at last week’s annual conference in Bournemouth. On housing, key measures proposed by the LGA include government incentive schemes to encourage private developers to

speed up the delivery of housing which already has planning permission; the creation of council-led local land trusts; the complete scrapping of the housing borrowing cap; and an overhaul of the government’s Right to Buy scheme.

Incentives Developer incentives should include reducing up-front costs and risks through early discussions with developers and phasing payments for infrastructure, sitting alongside financial penalties where planning permission has expired. The LGA believes this will bring forward the estimated 60,000 homes on hold or classified as ‘shelved’ in 2013 and speed up the delivery of private sector homes more widely, delivering an estimated additional 90,000 homes. LGA Chair Cllr David Sparks said: “The current housing crisis is nothing short of a national scandal which is going to get worse without radical action. “Our plans would see half a million new homes built, transforming the lives of hundreds of thousands of families. Councils have set a precedent in the past and shown they can deliver housing on a large scale. It’s time the next government learned from the past to build for the future.” • See www.local.gov.uk/100days

Homes review Confident local government focused on empowering communities is the key to building substantially more homes, according to the chair of an independent review into housing commissioned by the Labour Party. Sir Michael Lyons (pictured) welcomed the LGA’s ambition to build half a million more homes over the next year (see left), and said there were examples of excellent local initiatives taking place across the country. “It’s clear that local government must play a bigger part [in building more homes],” he told delegates at the LGA’s annual conference. “While that calls for new freedoms and the active support of central government, it also requires courageous local leadership and a willingness to speak up boldly for the needs of future generations.” He identified problems with land supply and consequently land speculation; the contraction of the building sector; the planning system; tussles with developers over related infrastructure and social housing; the duty to consult neighbouring authorities; and addressing residents’ concerns about developments. “We need to find a different way forward – not central dictat but a combination of clear national expectations combined with the empowerment of communities so that they can confidently provide land for housing knowing that they can shape its development,” he said. “There is a great opportunity for councils to use their assets creatively and become active developers on behalf of their communities, leading partnerships and commissioning new homes. But this effort must not displace what would otherwise have been done by the private sector.”

FIRST FEATURE

PARLIAMENT

Lords debate the deregulation agenda The Government’s Deregulation Bill has been making steady progress through Parliament since it was first introduced, most recently receiving its Second Reading in the House of Lords last week, when peers discussed the main principles of the Bill. You can read the briefing we sent to peers at www.local.gov.uk/deregulation-bill. In recent weeks, the Government has introduced a number of new proposals into the Bill, such as reforms to private licence vehicles (PLVs) which would allow anyone to drive a PLV. While the Government’s intention is to help families (as a household which has a PLV would no longer need to have a second car), we have been highlighting safety concerns that need to be addressed, given the importance of ensuring that PLV drivers are properly vetted. The Government has also brought forward a proposed ban on the use of CCTV for parking enforcement. We have been campaigning against this proposal to ensure that councils can still use CCTV for parking enforcement, particularly outside schools and at bus stops. As a result of our campaign, which has been supported by a large number of organisations and charities, the Government has agreed to introduce exemptions to the ban in the guidance which will accompany the legislation. We are now pushing for commitments on what these will be, although ultimately we maintain that it should remain up to councils to decide where CCTV should be used to keep roads moving and children and other vulnerable groups safe. Other areas covered by the Deregulation Bill include right to buy, household waste and the sale of alcohol at community events. We are also using the Bill to recommend that the Government remove the legal duty on councils to publish statutory notices in local newspapers, and to recommend that the Government undertake a review of all local authority licensing regulations and how they could be simplified, to better support local economic growth. Our arguments were supported by peers across the political benches during last week’s Second Reading debate. Former LGA Chairman Baroness Eaton (Con) raised our concerns with the PLV and CCTV reforms, while also recommending that the legal duty on councils to publish statutory notices be repealed. Lord Tope (Lib Dem), the former leader of the London Borough of Sutton, queried the justification for banning CCTV enforcement. He also argued against the Bill’s reforms to household waste, suggesting that such proposals would not deregulate but in fact introduce new burdens. Local government was also supported from the Labour benches. Baroness Andrews argued in line with our belief that the Bill should allow for the full

FIRST POLITICAL

retention of right to buy receipts by local authorities and be a vehicle to remove the housing borrowing cap. The Bill is now expected to move to its Committee Stage in the Lords in October, when peers will consider the legislation line by line. • See www.local.gov.uk/parliament

Looking ahead The LGA’s public affairs team is gearing up for the main party conferences in the autumn – so keep an eye on www.local.gov.uk/party-conferences for all the best local government events to attend at the 2014 conferences! Other parliamentary dates for your diary include: 1 September

Commons returns from summer recess

12 September

Commons breaks for conferences recess

21-24 September

Labour Party conference in Manchester

28 September-1 October Conservative Party conference in Birmingham 4-8 October

Liberal Democrat Party conference in Glasgow

13 October

Commons, and Lords, return following party conferences

3 November

LGA Independent Group conference in London

11-17 November

Autumn parliamentary recess

17 December

Lords recess for Christmas

18 December

Commons recess for Christmas

BY-ELECTIONS ANALYSIS

LAST WORD

General election The last of the councillor vacancies held over from 22 May following candidate deaths have now been filled. The most high profile of these was in the Tower Hamlets ward of Blackwall and Cubitt Town. It looked as if this entirely new ward would have been won by the Conservatives if it had existed in 2010. But in line with the party’s strong performance in London this year, Labour took two of the three seats – leaving the Conservatives with a single consolation seat. Elsewhere there were results which may provide pointers to next year’s general election. The Liberal Democrats claim to be defying the opinion polls in places where they are embedded locally. That certainly appears to be the case in Cheltenham where they are able consistently to beat the Conservatives

in both votes and seats. Their more narrow victory in Illogan, in the highly marginal Conservative-held Cornish constituency of Camborne and Redruth, similarly suggests that the party should not be written off west of the Tamar. UKIP finds it hard to win seats at by-elections, but continues to eat into the votes of Labour and the Conservatives alike. The Penistone West ward in Barnsley used to be safely Conservative until it was lost to Labour as a reflection of national swing in 2012. UKIP’s initial intervention in May this year stripped more than 10 percentage points from each major party compared with 2012; the byelection produced little change. • In first 568, the two Lancaster byelections were Green Party wins from Labour, not Conservative as printed.

Local by-elections Authority

Ward

Result

Swing % from/ to (since)

Turnout %

Barnsley

Penistone West

Lab hold

0.54 Con/Lab (2014)

25.7

Cheltenham

Charlton Park

LD gain from Con

n/a

46.7

Cheshire West & Chester

Boughton

Lab hold

0.6 Lab/Con (2011)

31.8

Cheshire West & Chester

Winnington & Castle

Lab hold

2.9 Lab/Con (2011)

19.2

Colchester

Wivenhoe Quay

Lab hold

3.9 Lab/Con (2012)

43.0

Cornwall

Illogan

LD gain from Con

10.2 Con/LD (2013)

32.4

Craven

Skipton West

Lab gain from LD

10.5 LD/Lab (2012)

25.3

Northampton

St. James

Lab hold

4.3 Con/LD (2011)

29.9

Northamptonshire

Braunston & Crick

Con hold

8.9 UKIP/Con (2013)

27.0

Northamptonshire

Brixworth

Con hold

4.1 UKIP/Con (2013)

26.1

North Hertfordshire

Hitchwood Offa & Hoo

Con hold

n/a

21.6

North Yorkshire

Skipton West

Ind gain from LD

n/a

28.1

Pendle

Old Laund Booth

LD hold

10.3 Con/LD (2011)

59.7

Tendring

Manningtree etc

Con hold

10.5 LD/Con (2011)

22.8

Torridge

Kenwith

Con hold

n/a

32.0

Tower Hamlets

Blackwall & Cubitt Town

2 Lab gains 1 Con hold

n/a

31.6

Giving and receiving Peer challenge is a core element of the LGA’s sector-led improvement offer to local authorities. Since April 2011, more than 200 authorities have undertaken one or have one scheduled. At the heart of the process are officers and councillors who spend their time as ‘peers’ at another council to contribute to its improvement and learning. It is an incredibly powerful demonstration of a ‘sector-led’ approach, and I have been fortunate enough to have been a peer on several occasions over the past few years. The big advantage of being a member peer on a peer challenge is that you can both give and receive simultaneously. You ‘give’ by applying your knowledge, experience and judgement. You ‘receive’ through the experience of working with a team of highly professional individuals operating in a very focused way. They operate quickly and effectively in a short time frame, applying a different sort of discipline to the ones you normally apply as a member in your own authority. You also ‘receive’ simply by experiencing a different set of circumstances in another authority, which gives you perspective on your own. And inevitably, the depth of knowledge you come away with about a particular service is greater than the knowledge you carried in with you. Having said that, the role of the member is not simply as ‘one of the team’, among others. There is a special member role which operates in two ways: liaising with members of all parties in the challenge authority; and applying a political filter and understanding to both the problems that arise and the solutions put forward. When I say political, I do not mean party political but political in the sense of understanding – and getting the team to understand – how sustainable and acceptable proposals are in terms of public perception and the perception of the rest of the elected members. No one else in the team has that experience and the team would have difficulty operating without it. So, after all that, is it worth doing? It most certainly is. You benefit, the authority benefits, the sector benefits, but probably most of all your own authority will benefit.

Cllr Graham Chapman is Deputy Leader of Nottingham City Council. See www.local.gov.uk/ peer-challenge for more information

FIRST POLITICAL

Together we see the bigger picture Delivering more for our Public Services customers Local government is changing, public service delivery is becoming more challenging than ever and you are innovating and responding decisively. Our unique combination of risk management and insurance, delivered by our experts, helps you build better resilience across your communities. For more information visit www.zurichmunicipal.co.uk

Zurich Insurance plc is authorised by the Central Bank of Ireland and subject to limited regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority. Details about the extent of our regulation by the Financial Conduct Authority are available from us on request.

Induction for newly appointed

lead members in adult social care and health

8 September, London Are you new to a portfolio in adult social care and health services? • The LGA is committed to supporting newly appointed lead members in health and adult services and is hosting a free induction event in London on 8 September. • The session will introduce the role of the lead member, and key policy issues and challenges, including the Care Bill, integration and sector-led improvement. • It will also be an opportunity for networking, discussion and signposting to further help and advice, as well as providing an introduction to the work of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board. For further details and to register your interest contact Katerina Charalambous at: Katerina.Charalambous@local.gov.uk

Savings for local government

5.7%

projected saving for councils through the LGA’s Adult Social Care Efficiency Programme.

£52m

efficiency savings as a result of support from LGA Productivity Experts.

£331m

financial benefit to the public and public services delivered through the LGA’s Customer Led Transformation programme.

LGA in the media

144%

increase in national media coverage year-on year from 483 episodes in 2012/13 to 1,182 in 2013/14.

79%

of coverage was positive about local government.

67%

of coverage was through pro-active media work by the LGA, often working with member councils.

Looking ahead This year local government has made great strides but a fundamental reform of how we deliver services and how they are funded is long overdue. Now is the time for us to show real leadership and to really progress a much needed redrawing of public services. This year’s LGA conference saw the launch of our new campaign – ‘Investing in Our Nation’s Future: The First 100 Days of the Next Government’. Our new campaign is a continuation of the work that has taken place over three years. In 2012 we set out the scope and scale of the problem the sector was facing as a result of the austerity measures taken by central government. This included our “graph of doom” which showed the potential £15 billion funding gap councils will face by 2019/20. In 2013 we launched “Rewiring Public Services”. This started a national debate on how radically transforming the way public services are delivered can address the multi-billion funding gap the sector faces, and improve our offer to residents.

This new national campaign, which focuses on the actions of the new government post May 2015, sits in the third year of this work. It distils the debates, thinking and ideas of the previous two years into a campaign focused on the practical steps a new government must take to transform public services. The campaign has been developed by working closely with representatives from many member councils. We have held a number of sessions both with leaders and chief executives to identify what they see are the key issues on the doorstep.

MORE THAN 9,000 DELEGATES ATTENDED MORE THAN 100 LGA EVENTS. 82% WERE FREE TO ATTEND FOR OUR MEMBERS AND 30% WERE HELD IN THE REGIONS

Our top priorities for 2013/14 FUNDING FOR LOCAL GOVERNMENT ECONOMIC GROWTH, JOBS AND PROSPERITY PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM

Engagement with councils In the last year, our Chairman, Chief Executive and other members of the senior team made nearly 600 visits to councils in England and Wales and we held more than 100 events. A third were held outside London and 82 per cent were free to attend for our members. Our improvement work has been widely used by councils, helping to share innovation and best practice across local government. The LGA helps drive improvement across the sector, supporting councils through significant changes, and supporting strong local leadership. This approach, helping to coordinate improvement work on behalf of councils, has helped them to deliver millions of pounds of savings.

Published analysis showing the outdated Barnett Formula is shortchanging English communities by £4.1 billion a year, generating significant national media interest and widespread support.

Extensive positive national and regional media coverage of local government’s recovery efforts following one of the worst storms in 30 years.

November 2013

October 2013

Our annual survey told us:

76%

of you think the LGA helps to set and drive improvement in the local government sector, an increase of 5% from last year

LGA in Parliament This year we have worked on your behalf to give councils a significant voice in Parliament:

1,247

mentions in Parliament.

An increase in the number of MPs who feel the LGA is an effective advocate for local government – 61% of MPs feel the LGA is very or somewhat effective – up from 45% in the previous 12 months.

This year we recorded the highest ever number of MPs aware of our Rewiring Public Services campaign.

Our annual survey told us:

83%

of you think the LGA addresses the issues that are important to councils, an increase of 4% from last year

LGA influencing and informing legislation: • Children and Families Act • Pensions Bill • Local Audit and Accountability Act • Deregulation Bill

of you are satisfied with the work of the LGA on behalf of local government

• Care Bill

Our annual survey told us:

70%

• Consumer Rights Bill • Anti-Social Behaviour Crime and Policing Act • Transparency of Lobbying Non-party Campaigning and Trade Union Administration Act.

December 2013 Following LGA lobbying, the Government announced changes to the Children and Families Bill which ensured that councils will still play a role in recruiting adopters.

January 2014 Developed flood risk portal to provide resources and support to councils affected by flooding.

February 2014 Helped councils to recover more than £1 billion tied up in the failed Icelandic banks.

March 2014 Approved plans to proceed with setting up a municipal bonds agency with the potential to save the sector £1.2 billion over 30 years.

A year in focus This year’s annual report from the LGA highlights how we have worked with you to influence legislation, remain a prominent voice in the media and support councils. In this four-page section, we have selected some key points of interest from the annual report, which can be downloaded in full later this month from www.local.gov.uk/publications

Local government has faced unprecedented challenges over the last few years and, as the national economy starts to show encouraging signs of recovery, councils are still shouldering the biggest spending cuts of any part of the public sector. This means we face a number of fundamental questions about what public services should look like and what councils should provide. As a sector, we’re trusted over national government to lead these changes to the services we deliver and, as an organisation, we’ve worked on behalf of our members to represent local government’s voice at a national level.

Rewiring Public Services In 2013/14 we focused on making a powerful case for greater independence for local government, campaigning for localism, and greater financial and decisionmaking autonomy for councils. The launch of the Rewiring Public Services campaign at our annual conference provided solutions for how local government could deliver public services within an ever tightening fiscal environment.

Secured the return of £94 million in schools funding to provide vital support services to schools and students.

Secured £1.8 million grant for councils and local health partners to improve health services for local residents.

LGA lobbying led to Government changes on home extensions planning policy.

June 2013

May 2013

April 2013

July 2013 Launched ‘Rewiring Public Services’ campaign at the LGA’s Annual Conference in Manchester, which attracted 1,500 delegates.

Rewiring Public Services was widely reported and referenced in both Houses of Parliament and the national media. Many of you developed the work further by hosting local debates and agreeing cross-party council motions to support its key propositions.

Our annual survey told us:

85%

of you think the LGA stands up for and defends the reputation of local government

We secured 104 speaking opportunities across the three main party conferences for councillors.

Published a landmark report on welfare reform – the first ever assessment of the cumulative impact of the Government’s welfare reforms.

September 2013

August 2013

• local solutions to national problems • cross part the-day responses • Parliamentary Bulletin • polit led • monitor legislation • Select Committees • Sm Square debates • complex issues • local solution national problems • cross party • on-the-day resp Parliamentary Bulletin • politically-led • monitor le This year’s annual report from the LGA• Select Committees • Smith Square debates • co highlights how we have worked with you to • local solutions to national problems • cro issues influence legislation, remain a prominent voice party • on-the-day responses • Parliamentary Bull in the media and support councils. In politically-led this • monitor legislation • Select Commi special section, we have selected some Smith Square debates • complex issues • local s key points of interest from the annual report, to national problems • cross party • on-the-day re which can be downloaded in full later this Parliamentary Bulletin • politically-led • monitor le month from www.local.gov.uk/publications • Select Committees • Smith Square debates • co issues • local solutions to national problems • cro party • on-the-day responses • Parliamentary Bull politically-led • monitor legislation • Select Commi Smith Square debates • complex issues • local so national problems • cross party • on-the-day resp Parliamentary Bulletin • politically-led • monitor le • Select Committees • Smith Square debates • co issues • local solutions to national problems • cro party • on-the-day responses • Parliamentary Bull politically-led • monitor legislation • Select Commi Smith Square debates • complex issues • local s to national problems • cross party • on-the-day re Parliamentary Bulletin • politically-led • monitor le • Select Committees • Smith Square debates • co issues • local solutions to national problems • cro party • on-the-day responses • Parliamentary Bull politically-led • monitor legislation • Select Commi Smith Square debates • complex issues • local so national problems • cross party • on-the-day resp Parliamentary Bulletin • politically-led • monitor le • Select Committees • Smith Square debates • co issues • local solutions to national problems • cro party • on-the-day responses • Parliamentary Bull politically-led • monitor legislation • Select Commi Smith Square debates • complex issues • local so national problems • cross party • on-the-day resp The national voice of local government Parliamentary Bulletin • politically-led • monitor le Select Committees • Smith Square debates • co

A year in the LGA