News & Events

Listed below are the national news items and national events.

IR35 Reforms - Implications, lobbying and your help required
Publish date: 23/03/2017
Helen Lynch outlines the work LLG is undertaking with Cipfa, SOLACE and the LGA on lobbying HMRC on the IR35 Reforms and how you can help by providing case studies.
LLG regret to announce the death of its oldest honourary member Harry Sales
Publish date: 23/03/2017
John Emms recounts the remarkable life and career of Harry Sales, charting back to the 1940's. A great character, an early pioneer, long-time supporter and an irreplaceable link with the past.
LLG AGM 1st April 2017, 12.45 pm, Warwick University
Publish date: 09/03/2017
LLG Legal Training Weekend School 2017
Publish date: 06/03/2017
LLG Legal Training Weekend School 2017 From Thursday 30 March to Saturday 1 April 2017 Warwick University Campus The program of plenary and breakout sessions will consider the current and future landscape of Local Government legislation, top legal cases, ways of working, impacts and challenges to be faced, all with discussion and debate amongst colleagues and peers. Discounts are available for LLG members and those registered and attending as trainee solicitors. Visit the LLG Legal Training website for full details.
'I want her job!' - Celebrating International Women's Day 2017
Publish date: 02/03/2017
This year's theme for International Women's Day is 'Be bold for change'. Come and hear the experiences and achievements of inspirational women lawyers from a variety of backgrounds on how they made it.
Invitation to vote in the Planning Law Survey 2017
Publish date: 06/02/2017
Planning would like to invite you, as a local authority lawyer with a track record in the sector, to participate in our annual Planning Law Survey. The survey has been running since 1998 and is regarded as a key reference source on excellence in the field. The rankings are based on the views of legal professionals specialising in planning and their clients, so we need your input to make the survey as authoritative as possible. It should take no more than five minutes to complete. As an additional gesture of thanks for your participation, all survey responses will be entered into a prize draw to win £100 of Marks & Spencer vouchers. Click to link the survey
Local Government Reform in Wales
Publish date: 11/01/2017
During the term of the last Assembly, The Welsh Government pursued a policy of introducing legislation to reduce the number of Welsh Unitary Local Authorities from 22 down to 8 or 9 . Legislation was passed empowering WG to combine Authorities and enabling the Boundary Commission for Wales to make the necessary electoral arrangements. LLG Wales Branch participated in consultation on this piece of legislation and also sent a representative to give evidence to the Senedd Committee scrutinising the legislation. Gareth Owens, Chair of LLG Welsh Branch examines the role LLG is playing in the reforms. Click for more information
Brand New Mentoring Scheme Launched
Publish date: 05/01/2017
LLG have launched a brand new mentoring scheme which pairs mentors with mentee's based on their experience and required advice. If you want to be a mentor or are at a stage where you could benefit from some wise counsel then go to the document library and click on 'mentoring scheme' to complete a very simple registration form. There is also a useful guide to mentoring and what to expect.
New Bursary Scheme Launched
Publish date: 05/01/2017
LLG are delighted to launch it's new bursary scheme which makes it even easier for you, the membership, to apply for bursaries to access courses, training and academic qualifications. The revised scheme now works on a rolling basis so you can make an application at any time and the new criteria is more flexible to enable more of you to demonstrate eligibility. Go to the LLG Membership section of the document library to see the guidance on applications and to download an application form.
Happy New Year! Blwyddyn Newydd Dda!
Publish date: 03/01/2017
Happy New Year and welcome back. LLG hopes you all had a wonderful break and are set for the new and varied challenges which 2017 will bring. This week will see the launch of the revised Bursary Scheme; Mentoring Scheme and the opening of applications for Deputy Vice Chair. Make sure to check back regularly so you don't miss out.

Blog

22 January 2021

Publish date: 22/01/2021

On the 6^th May 2021, the Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) 2020 regulations come to an end.

LLG & ADSO, together with numerous stakeholders, want to see continuing provision for local authorities to conduct meetings virtually. We do not want a situation where meetings from the 7^th May 2021 onwards to have to take place in person. We consider and indeed, the government has indicated, that we will not have returned to a pre-pandemic stage and are likely to remain under tiers for some time yet. But quite aside from the covid compliant difficulties in returning to in person meetings, a real focus here should be on the effective local democratic process, decision making and engagement advantages from the ability to hold virtual meetings. Statistics bear out that public participation in meetings have increased remarkably. There is also the long-term effect to consider; the real probability that the flexibilities afforded will attract a more diverse range of public demographic to stand as councillors. Any provision which enables equality of access, increased democratic participation and effective decision making must be retained.

Recently, the Secretary of State (Robert Jenrick) has said that whilst accepting that the provision has been successful, he has no plans to extend the date as it requires primary legislation and there is no vehicle to do that in time for May. He added that whilst it is not possible at the moment, if there is an opportunity to make it more permanent, he will take it.

LLG & ADSO have recently instructed counsel to examine this issue. We know of at least one local authority which has already received counsel's opinion, and which identifies two regulations which would give the Secretary of State powers to implement virtual meeting provisions. These are s16 Local Government Act 1999 and s15 Cities and Local Government Devolution Act 2016. The advice also included a view that the Executive or Cabinet will still be able to meet remotely (if permitted under their constitution) as Schedule 12 of the Local Government Act 1972 does not apply to the executive and there is no law which requires presence or place.

We will of course disseminate our advice to members when received next week and continue to lobby the government. In the meanwhile, if you have any members you could approach about this issue to generate support direct to Ministers this would be useful. The more noise we can make to bring collective pressure the better.

Best wishes

Helen McGrath

Helen@llg.org.uk