News & Events

Listed below are the national news items and national events.

LLG Legal Training - Survey Winners!
Publish date: 07/06/2017
After the completion of the LLG Legal Training Development Survey the winners have been announced!
London AGM & Garden Party to go ahead following horrific events over the weekend
Publish date: 05/06/2017
The London Branch is saddened and horrified by the events in London over the weekend and send condolences and thoughts to the hundreds of people caught up and effected by the brutality on Saturday. Many of our London members will themselves have spent many happy evenings enjoying the environment of Borough Market and surrounding areas and it is shocking to all of us that such acts occurred. In the spirit of collective resilience and 'London United', the London AGM & Garden Party will proceed as planned on Tuesday 6th June. We hope to see you there.
LLG Legal Training Annual Governance Conference 2017
Publish date: 26/05/2017
LLG Legal Training are delighted to announce that the Annual Governance Conference and exhibition, held in association with LLG, Lawyers in Local Government, will be taking place at the Assembly Rooms in Bath on Wednesday 18 and Thursday 19 October 2017.
LLG Award Winners in the Litigation Team of the Year 2016 make the shortlist for the Solicitors Journal Awards 2017.
Publish date: 05/05/2017
Hackney’s Criminal Litigation Team has been shortlisted in the 2017 Solicitors Journal Awards to be held on 17th May 2017 and are the only local authority to be shortlisted across 16 categories. The team headed by Pauline Campbell alongside Maneka Singh have beat some stiff competition and are delighted to get this far. LLG knows from its own awards the incredible talent out there and would urge you all to follow their example and nominated your teams for awards across the spectrum.
Lawyers: make the apprenticeship levy work for you!
Publish date: 05/05/2017
Noel Inge explains the apprenticeship levy, outlining the benefits for both employer and apprentice and highlights the things you need to consider including the varying types of apprenticeship; from paralegal to solicitor.
THe LGA issue further guidance on Purdah start date.
Publish date: 21/04/2017
The LGA have clarified their position following initial guidance sent to local authorities regarding Purdah commencing tomorrow. Following enquiries by LLG and others, the LGA have now clearly stated that Purdah commences tomorrow for the Civil Service and not local government however, in consequence, local government will commence a period of "heightened sensitivity" as set out in the local government code governing publicity, despite the timing being prior to the publication of the notice of election as the code applies at all times. Click for further information
AGM makes Executive Appointments at Weekend School
Publish date: 03/04/2017
Following the AGM at the Weekend School at Warwick University; LLG are delighted to announce that Doreen Forrester-Brown will continue as President for a further 6 months.
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

Blog

14 June 2019

Publish date: 14/06/2019

This week the Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, Rishi Sunak MP announced that property revaluations for business rates payers in England will now take place every 3 years; an increase in frequency from the current 5. In consequence, the 2022 revaluation will now take place a year earlier in 2021. Whilst underpinning the economy and ensuring retention and indeed revitalisation of the high-street are exceptionally important drivers, the resulting economic impact on local authorities could be substantial. The Government, as we know, has phased out revenue support grants making local authorities wholly reliant on local income. Business rates will form an important part of this revenue. LLG are pulling together several questions for the Ministry to answer in a live webinar taking place on the 19^th June 2019. We will certainly be asking whether a contingency budget to cushion a drop off in business rates and council tax due to economic instability and increasing unemployment will be provided outside of the pledged 58 million. We will also be pushing to know if the Government has analysed the number of local authorities which could be pushed over the edge post Brexit, based on the number of councils finding themselves in an increasingly precarious financial position, together with their plan for delayed economic shock.

We are already seeing a knock-on effect on services within the regulatory field. The National Audit Office (NAO) this week warned that food standards check's fell to 37% of those required with spending cut by 19%. Head of the NAO, Gareth Davies said, "The regulatory system is showing signs of strain with fewer food control staff in local authorities and delays in the checks they carry out on food businesses" and called for the Government to evaluate the impact of Brexit. We will certainly be asking the Ministry what planning around the impact on Trading Standards in regard to capacity and resilience has taken place. Meanwhile the District Councils' Network at a parliamentary inquiry on the strategy implications for councils in respect of the Government's resources and waste strategy announced "zero confidence" that councils will be compensated by the Government for new burdens arising from the new functions. The reforms include free garden waste collections, food waste collections by every council and consistency in recycling.

LLG have pulled together a wide variety of questions covering numerous disciplines to put to the Ministry live, next Wednesday 19^th June 2019 at 1pm. You can register and listen free to what they have to say here.

Best wishes

Helen McGrath

Head of Public Affairs

Helen@llg.org.uk