As the Conservatives in local government reflect on the results of May’s local elections, the LGA Conservative Group will remain a dominant force in representing the priorities of Conservative councillors across the country.
Naturally, I am disappointed that we will now become the second-largest group.
That said, I want to wish Cllr Shaun Davies, from the LGA’s Labour Group, all the very best should he be elected Chairman of the LGA at the annual conference in July.
My message to Conservative councillors is this: we should be proud of what we have achieved, both at the LGA and in our respective councils.
Let’s just reflect on some of the major achievements secured by the Conservative Group in the LGA.
In 2018, after a hard-fought campaign by Conservatives in the LGA, the Government lifted the borrowing cap on housing revenue accounts. As a result of our lobbying efforts, local authorities are now in a far better position to build more social housing.
“Conservative councillors should be proud of what we have achieved, both at the LGA and in our respective councils”
During the COVID-19 pandemic, it was clear that urgent additional funding was required to ensure councils could meet the unprecedented demands placed upon them.
Given our close and effective working relationship with ministers, we managed to secure, alongside government, an emergency package of £3.2 billion for councils in April 2020, in addition to the £5 billion in cashflow support.
Of course, we should reflect on May’s election results. That said, our interventions have changed lives.
Conservatives in the LGA can continue to deliver real change – and we will!