The Chancellor’s Autumn Statement has attempted to mitigate the disastrous Liz Truss Budget, adding £8.5 billion to health, social care and schools’ budgets in 2024/25, but leaving other departments to absorb the impact of higher inflation.
It was a win, however, for the LGA’s Independent Group that ministers have increased the windfall tax on energy companies – an issue on which we have been lobbying.
The Government also announced an additional £6.6 billion for a new Energy Efficiency Taskforce, and the LGA needs to be its heart, shaping sensible solutions.
We haven’t agreed with the Government on introducing a limit on social rents, because these decisions should be taken at a local level and will be part of longer investment plans for local social housing stock.
As the Independent Group has highlighted previously, we need to invest in energy efficiency to reduce fuel bills, where any ‘savings’ on social rents will be outstripped.
“We need to invest in energy efficiency to reduce fuel bills”
I was invited to speak at the UN Climate Change Conference (COP27) as a spokesperson for the Council of European Municipalities and Regions (CEMR).
I was pleased to give four speeches and exchanged plans with ministers and community leaders from around the world, stressing the importance of local government being at the forefront of climate action.
The draft agreement was changed to include local government as part of the solution.
It was encouraging to meet dedicated leaders, including from some of the world’s major polluters, keen to engage in what needs to be done urgently to save our planet.