Strong local government should be at the forefront of the post-pandemic recovery and has a key role to play in helping the most vulnerable in society, Liberal Democrat Leader Sir Ed Davey told the LGA’s annual conference.
He called on central government to start working efficiently with local government, by properly funding and empowering it, noting “you can’t level up from Whitehall” and that “a multi-year budget does not mean two years”.
Sir Ed highlighted the party’s recent successes both in parliamentary and local by-elections, which he attributed to it working hard to understand local issues and then campaign on them.
“Conversations on the doorstep are not dictated by HQ,” he said. “We believe local communities coming together…are best placed to make decisions about their area.”
The Government’s failure to tackle the challenge of insulating homes was a “disaster for climate change but also for people suffering from fuel poverty”, and he called for local authorities to have the power to fine water companies that pollute rivers and lakes by dumping sewage.