More than two and a half years after 72 people lost their lives, the inquiry into the Grenfell Tower fire has started its second phase, looking at how the building came to be covered in flammable cladding during its refurbishment.
Now that we have a new government in place, it is absolutely vital that we get on with delivering on the key issues and opportunities for our communities
It has been heart-breaking to see people forced out of their homes by the extensive flooding across Yorkshire, Derbyshire, Nottinghamshire and Lincolnshire.
It’s been two years since the last new devolution deal was agreed in England – so the promise, in the Queen’s Speech, of a White Paper on the subject is encouraging.
The Chancellor’s Spending Round has provided councils with much of the certainty they need about how they will be funded next year – as well as £3.5 billion for our vital local services.
With his premiership now well under way, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has some huge challenges ahead of him, not least Brexit.
It is a great honour to be the new Chairman of the LGA, and I enjoyed meeting many of you at our annual conference in Bournemouth in early July.
I am looking forward to seeing many of you in Bournemouth from 2-4 July, at the LGA’s annual conference.
This time last year, I was writing about the appointment of James Brokenshire as Housing, Communities and Local Government Secretary, and his plans to consult on banning combustible materials on high-rise buildings.
It is a huge privilege and honour to be elected by our residents to represent them on their local councils, and to try to make a difference to them and the areas in which we live.