I talk to a lot of colleagues from local authorities all round the country & there is a great deal of unrest over what the LGA does & equally a lot of speculation as to what it should do in the future.Merrick Cockell as the Chairman elect will need all his considerable diplomatic skills to navigate a route through choppy waters.Not least is the issue of the new LGA Chief Executive - advert is out & John Smith (head hunter) is calling prospective applicants - it will be a tough job for someone who will need the patience of a saint.So the new Conservative LGA team is now known & will be announced in Birmingham next week.Gary Porter, as Tory Group Leader elect, has a lot of experience as a Lead IDEA Peer (sorry I meant LGID Lead Peer) - I wish them both well.I heard last night that the Liberal Democrats have done a deal in the elections to replace Richard Kemp - the prospective Group Leader will be Gerald Vernon-Jackson & his running mate will be Chris White from Hertfordshire.
