It was a great privilege to be chosen as National Lead Peer for the LGA’s Independent Group.
In 2001, I was elected to Cornwall County Council, where I have seen lots of change, including the move to unitary status and Cornwall Council.
I have been lucky enough to carry out many different roles in my council, including being the leader a few years ago.
As councillors, we certainly do the role because we love it, and local people rely on us to run our councils well.
That is where peer roles come in and I am a great believer in the good that peers do. Whether that is participating in corporate peer reviews of councils or mentoring groups or individual councillors, the benefits to the sector are huge.
“Local people rely on us to run our councils well.”
In my new role, I want to recruit more peers to work within our group to ensure diversity and make sure they are trained and supported to do the role.
The LGA’s team of regional peers is important as the ‘ear on the ground’ in local areas, able to work with LGA staff and identify councils that need support.
We saw a huge change in local politics following May’s local elections, with more councils than ever being under ‘no overall control’.
Many have not experienced this before, meaning more help is needed for both councillors and officers to support the change.
This is positive for communities, as no one group has all the right solutions for a place, and collaborative working can bring benefits.