News & Events

Listed below are the national news items and national events.

Essential Leadership Skills Conference
Event date: 09/03/2020
Bevan Brittan Considers 'Climate Emergency' Have you thought about: Funding and Investment?
Publish date: 16/01/2020
With local authorities seeking to deliver on some of their declared priorities to address the climate emergency, attention is turning to how to fund some of the ideas and initiatives. In the coming weeks as budgets are set, there will be increased focus as to how committed a council may be in identifying funds for some measures. Councils can analyse green initiatives through various lenses: they could be revenue saving; revenue generating; or producing indirect or co-benefits. But if these measures are to be approved, they will need to be funded and/or the investment case made.
FINAL CALL: UP TO £2,500 AVAILABLE FOR WOMEN’S LEADERSHIP DEVELOPMENT
Publish date: 16/01/2020
Women currently working in the legal sector have a final opportunity to register their interest in a scholarship worth up to £2,500 to support participation in an accredited leadership development program.
The LLG Awards 2020 Now Open
Publish date: 06/01/2020
LLG are delighted to bring you the LLG Awards 2020! Closing date for nominations is 20th January 2020 so get nominating now and spread the word!
Are You An Expert Practitioner In Your Field?
Publish date: 06/01/2020
LLG is looking to recruit 3 new National Leads to champion the profession in the following fields: - Employment Partnership & Procurement
Deputy Vice President 2020- Applications Invited for LLG Board
Publish date: 06/01/2020
Applications for the position of Deputy Vice President of Lawyers in Local Government are now invited. If you have the strategic vision to lead the company at pace whilst applying creative vision to the provision of membership services; this role will provide a stimulating, rewarding and career enhancing opportunity placing you in direct contact with key stakeholders and corporate partners. Click header to read more...
Bevan Brittan Explores the Climate Emergency: Have You Thought About New Housing?
Publish date: 20/12/2019
Eighty per cent of our housing stock that will be occupied in 2050 has already been built . However, it is widely accepted that we still need to build more homes to tackle the UK’s housing shortage. With housing stock accounting for twenty per cent of greenhouse gas emissions, there are many initiatives being considered for housing generally. In particular, there is a focus on setting energy efficiency standards for new housing. As an area that local authorities are increasingly active in delivering, we focus this article on potential changes to Building Regulations; changes which could either help or hinder local authorities to achieve net zero carbon.
Keith Davies from Shoosmiths LLP Looks at Reinventing our Town Centres
Publish date: 20/12/2019
How the public and private sector can come together to regenerate town centres and make them places that provide the facilities and services that are valued by the community was the subject of a workshop and dinner jointly held recently by Shoosmiths and Lambert Smith Hampton.
Free Webinar - CEO Brief: Developing Leadership in Local Government
Publish date: 18/12/2019
LLG Announce Shoosmiths as Corporate Partner
Publish date: 05/12/2019
LLG are delighted to announce Shoosmiths as Corporate Partner of LLG and look forward to working with them for the benefit of our membership.

Blog

24 January 2020

Publish date: 24/01/2020

Sweeping away months of uncertainty, the ever present Withdrawal Act Bill received Royal Assent on Thursday, to be swiftly signed by the European Commission under the authority of Ursula von der Leyen, the President of the European Commission, and Charles Michel, President of the European Council, this morning in Brussels. Without pomp or circumstance, Mr Michel said that "things will inevitably change but our friendship will remain". The Treaty is currently winging its way back to London to be signed by the Prime Minister before pinging back across the Channel to be ratified by MEPs next Wednesday.

There were cheers in Parliament on Thursday when the speaker announced the European Union (Withdrawal Agreement) Act with the PM stating that "At times it felt like we would never cross the Brexit finish line, but we've done it," The MEP's Constitutional Affairs Committee Chair, Antonio Tajani was not so upbeat stating "A member state is leaving the EU. It's not a moment for celebration. Although we firmly respect the sovereign decision of the British people, we deeply reject this outcome."

So now the work must begin in order to transition from the EU. What can we expect? Formal talks on a trade deal might not realistically start until March due to the sheer volume of states, with security and law enforcement also requiring new agreement. Industry bodies have today written to home secretary Priti Patel to call for a deep cut in the proposed £30,000 minimum salary threshold for migrant workers after Brexit and worker's rights protection was removed from the Withdrawal Act bill, and will now form part of a separate bill to be announced. Further, unaccompanied children with relatives in the UK will now be the subject of a ministerial statement setting out the policy in late March.

For local government, questions remain around structural funds, the shared prosperity fund and use of LEP's, data flow, environmental standards, worker's rights, chid refugees, state aid and the procurement framework to name but a few. Now that the requirement for the government's negotiating position on the future relationship with the EU to be approved by Parliament has been removed and the political declaration (the non-legally binding document that accompanied the withdrawal agreement setting out aspirations for the future relationship with the EU) no longer has to be in line with negotiations, it is somewhat challenging to make representations on legal proposals we simply cannot see. That said, we can make educated conclusions about the types of issue we should be raising in advance, to try and influence policy before it becomes law.

With that in mind, LLG are looking to establish a working group to come together and feed into the issues we are most concerned about. Very much like our Brexit statement in January 2019, we are looking to cover the fundamental areas that effect our authorities and communities in order to influence at the highest levels to ensure the legal framework, when it arrives, is fit for purpose and workable.

If you are interested in contributing, then please do get in touch.

Best wishes

Helen McGrath

Head of Public Affairs

Helen@llg.org.uk