councillor

Every councillor knows the importance of the role they play in scrutinising their authority and holding it to account on behalf of their constituents.

Our recent Safer and Stronger Communities Board meeting heard from the new Independent Anti-Slavery Commissioner Dame Sara Thornton CBE QPM. Supporting councils to tackle modern slavery has been a key priority of the board for several years now, following an early presentation from Dame Sara’s predecessor Kevin Hyland.

The Turkish local government elections held on 31 March 2019 were momentous. The political parties had coalesced into two blocs – one pro and the other against President Erdoğan and his AKP party.

Congratulations on being elected as a new councillor from myself and everyone at the LGA. I hope you find your time as an elected representative as rewarding as I have, and the LGA a useful resource. I like to think of us as a family and, like all families, we are here to help you as you take on the role of councillor.

The term ‘winter pressures’ is a phrase we hear regularly during that busy season, as hospitals struggle to meet demand – but what does it mean in practice? That’s what my scrutiny committee wanted to find out when we discussed this issue earlier in the year.

The social networks with which young people interact, their methods of communication and the organisations representing them are often much more fluid and dynamic than for other groups of residents.

Of all the functions you might be asked to undertake in your role as a councillor, chairing meetings is arguably one of the most important.