The Government is set to give local authorities the flexibility to allow councillors to attend council meetings remotely, almost nine months after Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner promised the move at the LGA’s 2024 annual conference last October.
Cllr Louise Gittins, LGA Chair, said: “Giving local government the flexibility to allow councillors to attend council meetings remotely, if they wish to, is a positive step, giving councils the power to create arrangements that work best for them and their communities.
“In-person attendance remains important, but it must be balanced against the advantages remote attendance can provide in removing barriers to participating in the democratic process.
“We’re pleased that the Government recognises that councils should be trusted to set out the arrangements and decide for themselves how best to use this flexibility.”
On new measures announced on proxy voting, Cllr Gittins continued: “We are also reviewing the proposed introduction of proxy voting at full council meetings and will work with government to clarify any outstanding questions on how this will be practically implemented.”