It has been an absolute pleasure and privilege to open and attend my first Local Government Association Conference as chair. It has been wonderful to see so many colleagues from councils of all tiers and political persuasions, from across the country.
The LGA Conference is the biggest event in the local government calendar. It brings us all together as one big family, united in our shared common purpose and objectives of serving our local communities, protecting our most vulnerable residents, providing good quality housing and ensuring our children get the best start in life.
The survey found a quarter (25%) of councils and 44% of social care councils are likely to request EFS in the next two financial years
While the political landscape has changed significantly since we last met in Bournemouth, the challenges we face remain the same.
But although conference is often a time to discuss how we tackle this, it is also an opportunity to celebrate the incredible work we do day-in, day-out, and this year is no different.
Encouraging more people to choose a career in local government is one of the LGA's priorities, and I was delighted to announce the launch of our ‘Make a Difference' campaign, which promotes the wide variety of roles on offer in councils and how working in local government is a great way to forge a career.
With more than nine in 10 councils experiencing staff recruitment and retention issues, we know how vital it is that we boost our workforce and attract more people with the right skills into the sector.
Government might make the decisions at a national level and hold the purse strings, but it is local government that runs the country, delivering the vital local services people rely on. It has been fantastic to see this showcased in Harrogate this week.
However, we all know the precarious financial position councils are under is leaving many local services on the brink.
Before conference, we asked chief executives about their council's financial outlook and in particular, the likelihood of needing to apply for Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) from government.
The results serve as a stark warning ahead of next week's Autumn Budget and the provisional Local Government Finance Settlement expected before the end of the year.
The survey found a quarter (25%) of councils and 44% of social care councils are likely to request EFS in the next two financial years.
A similar proportion also told us that if EFS did not exist, their council would be likely to issue a section 114 notice in that time.
In recent weeks, we have been stepping up our call for immediate action to stabilise council finances and protect vital services. We have highlighted the particular challenges in children's and adult social care, special educational needs and disabilities, home-to-school transport and temporary accommodation.
Earlier this month, we wrote to the chancellor in a joint letter with the County Councils' Network, District Councils' Network, London Councils, the Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities (SIGOMA), Core Cities and Key Cities. We warned that any funding reductions for councils would be ‘disastrous', with LGA analysis showing English councils face a £2.3bn funding gap in 2025-26, rising to £3.9bn in 2026-27 – a £6.2bn shortfall over two years.
We set out a range of measures to support and stabilise the sector, including a significant and sustained increase in overall funding that reflects current and future costs and demands for services. In the medium-term, we have also called for the introduction of multi-year settlements and measures to simplify the number of funding pots and end competitive bidding for grant funding.
We know the chancellor faces hugely difficult decisions in her first Budget, but we have been clear that providing stability to the local government sector financially will not only protect key services but also provide a return on investment for taxpayers, while improving local services and communities.
Today we close conference by welcoming deputy prime minister, Angela Rayner, and we know she is sympathetic to the financial plight of councils. But it will also be an opportunity to remind her that it is through councils, as the bedrock of our communities, that we can tackle the challenges we face as a country head-on and achieve our shared ambitions.
Cllr Louise Gittins is chair of the Local Government Association
