Climate change and the economic outlook will be discussed at the LGA’s conference for Independent members
The enthusiasm and excitement of party conferences is coming to our LGA Independent Group, with our annual conference on 28 October at the LGA’s London office and online.
It is the opportunity for Independent councillors and groups to have their own ‘party conference’ and for the members of parties such as the Green Party and Plaid Cymru to come together for a conference that focuses solely on issues of local government.
We need to make headway after the mini-Budget and its U-turn – increased borrowing not for investment, but to “put in people’s pockets” – leaving public services around £18 billion short.
The resulting rising borrowing costs disable some of our own growth projects and lead to more people becoming homeless.
Rising inflation, staff costs and fuel prices added to the underlying long-term uncertainty for adult social care make for a toxic mixture that we will seek ways to tackle in a conference session on the economic outlook – a great opportunity for our members to quiz the ‘experts’, share concerns and develop direction and strategy.
The Independent Group is championing climate change, particularly around retrofit and energy.
This year, supported by the Independent Chair of the LGA’s Fire Services Management Committee, Cllr Frank Biederman, our conference will be looking at the impact of climate change, and what councils can do to support our communities, public services, businesses, infrastructure and places in adapting to the increased weather extremes that we are facing. Successive storms in February 2020 led to record-breaking floods and the wettest February in the UK since records began in 1910.
The fire services have been at full stretch this year with summer wildfires, as the UK hit a record temperature of 40.3°C in Lincolnshire. The high temperatures led to around 3,000 more deaths than usual.
We saw fire services declare major incidents in Leicestershire, Hertfordshire, Suffolk, Norfolk, Lincolnshire, Yorkshire and London, with London saying it was its fire service’s busiest day since the Blitz.
Civility in public life is vital to good democracy, and championed by the Independent Group. Our delegates can attend a workshop on the LGA’s Debate not Hate campaign and meet a special guest speaker at the evening reception.
We will also be looking at the changes to elections in 2023, and considering what it means for our members standing for election and the electorate.
I am looking forward to a landslide next May, as we have so many councillors working brilliantly in their communities, supporting new candidates, and many seats are up for election.
We see “growth, growth, growth” in our councillors’ performance and numbers, now at 3,028. More councils are led by Independent Group members, and many more are in administration or leading the opposition.
Members will be designing what a ‘good’ administration looks like, and how to be effective in bringing improvements while in power or opposition.
Most of all, our conference is an opportunity to bring together all our councillors, to meet, network, exchange ideas and learn something new.
The Green Party and Plaid Cymru conferences have been awesome, with lots of determination for a better future.
Being independent doesn’t mean being isolated. Together we support each other and make a difference to our local communities, our two countries and our planet.
I look forward to seeing as many of you as can make it on 28 October.