Monthly Archives: March 2011

Dear Ed Milliband (I’m sure you all guessed who it was!), I have noted with interest that you today had one of your aspiring PMs in the basement of Labour HQ do some swift sums and concluded that the nefarious … Continue reading →

I have been an office holder of some sort in the LGA since it first met in 1997 and before that was on the executive of the AMA. There have been two rules in the LGA since it was founded … Continue reading →

Yesterday I was musing on what ‘Big Society’ actually means with Phil Redmond of Brookside and patio slaughter fame! Phil and I were in the same place about Big Society which might surprise people as he was at the heart … Continue reading →

First publsihed on the Downtown Liverpool Web Site in February 2011 Ten years ago as chair of the Governance Subcommittee of the Council I oversaw the Liverpool consultation about having an elected mayor. In spite of spending more than £400,000 … Continue reading →

First published in Inside Housing in March 2011 A couple of weeks ago I was on a panel with David Orr when the perennial question came up, “are RSLs public sector or private sector?” Obviously the answer given by David … Continue reading →

Of all the things that I have taken away from the Commonwealth Local Government Conference one sticks in my mind most readily. That is the sight last night of the Minister for Local Government; his Permanent Secretary; the Secretary General … Continue reading →

I always find that people who didn’t go to conference get a different impression about what happened at conference than those who did. This is because, for obvious reasons, the press are selective about what they can and do report. … Continue reading →

Liberal Democrat Conference Sheffield Press Briefing from the LGA Liberal Democrats Highlights of the local government activity at the Lib Dem Spring Conference in Sheffield this weekend include: Friday 11th March Council Group of the Year Awards  20.00 – 21.30   … Continue reading →

  Press Release From the Leader of the Liberal Democrats in Local Government  Cllr Richard Kemp has warmly welcomed a new agreement which will both say how local government and central government should work together on climate and will monitor … Continue reading →

I’m really looking forward to next week when the biennial conference of the Commonwealth Local Government Forum comes to Cardiff. There are delegates from all but one commonwealth countries and not only mayors, councillors and staff of councils but 20+ … Continue reading →