As we enter those final few days before our residents cast their votes in the local elections, I know many colleagues will be in the throes of a final campaign push before the ballot boxes open.
This is an important time for local government, as people up and down the country make their voices heard.
Irrespective of the outcome of these local elections, it is so important that we do not lose sight of local government reorganisation (LGR), and we continue to hold the Government to account.
The Government’s plans for LGR now look vastly different from what it originally set out. Guiding principles for scale have been abandoned and we are likely to see a significant fragmentation of services, as well as the financial challenge this may bring.
Countless voices in the sector are urging the Government to listen. The Association of Directors of Adult Social Services has raised serious concerns about the risk posed by current LGR plans to the millions who rely on adult social care.
“We are likely to see a significant fragmentation of services”
This is just one voice among many.
The period following elections is uncertain, and as councils adjust to new administrations, and residents set clear new mandates for their local areas, the Government’s insistence that LGR must go ahead poses serious concerns.
The Government must listen and put people first.