It was great to see so many Conservative councillors attending this year’s LGA annual conference, albeit once again virtually.
We were delighted to welcome Housing Minister Chris Pincher and Vaccines Minister Nadhim Zahawi to our well-attended group meetings. I know those present were pleased to hear from them on planning issues and the vaccine rollout respectively, as well as having plenty of time to pose questions.
“Councils have a key role to play in supporting our local high streets back to life”
It was also great to be able to welcome Robert Jenrick MP, our Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, at the start of the conference, and to hear him pay a fulsome tribute to the leadership shown by councils and councillors during the pandemic.
In his speech, Robert also spoke about the importance of the Government’s ‘levelling up’ agenda in driving the post-covid recovery, the key role that councils have to play in supporting our local high streets back to life, and the importance of meeting the housing aspirations of people across the country.
I was also delighted that despite only being in the job for less than a fortnight, Sajid Javid MP, Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, took time out of his busy schedule to address us and to confirm that adult social care is a key priority for him personally and for the department.
I would like to thank of all the speakers and delegates who contributed to an excellent conference, and I look forward to seeing you in person in Harrogate next year.