Congratulations to all of you who were elected for the first time on 4 May, and to those who were re-elected.
Being a councillor is a great opportunity to make a difference, and being able to achieve things for my residents is something I still find really fulfilling.
Commiserations to those who were not re-elected, and our thanks to you – and your colleagues who stood down – for your public service to your local communities.
I would especially like to thank those unsung heroes – our returning officers and their teams – for running another set of successful elections with their usual quiet efficiency, while also managing the introduction of voter photo identification in England.
The LGA provides lots of support for new councillors, including an online national welcome event on 20 June.
This free event will be a great opportunity to learn about the challenges facing councils, hear top tips from experienced councillors, and meet colleagues from other councils – so please do encourage your new colleagues to attend.
Support is also available from the LGA for councils and councillors facing a change in political control, or a move to no overall control.
The Labour Group is now the largest party within the LGA and will therefore choose my successor when I step down at the LGA’s General Assembly on 4 July, at our annual conference in Bournemouth.
The group has confirmed that Cllr Shaun Davies, LGA Senior Vice-Chair and Leader of the LGA Labour Group, is its nominee to become the new chair, and I am sure that all of us in local government will wish him well and look forward to working with him in this cross-party role.
Finally, I would like to pay tribute to all those LGA board members who lost their seats or stepped down at the local elections. They played a crucial role as part of the LGA’s decision-making process and worked tirelessly to advocate on councils’ behalf on various policy areas.