New LGA chair, Sir Simon Milton has called on colleagues to ‘fasten their safety belts’ as he prepares a higher profile for the association among councils, Whitehall and Westminster.
Sir Simon, leader of Westminster City Council, told The MJ this week: ‘My message to the LGA is, we must drive ourselves hard.
‘It’s the job of the chairman to lead and listen, and members are saying they want the LGA to be more forceful and direct.’
He added: ‘Councils always look at their subscriptions to the LGA. We haven’t had high leakage, but I know at my own council we ask ourselves each year what we get back. The LGA needs to up its game.’
And in his speech to the LGA conference this week, Sir Simon told delegates: ‘I want to boost performance by sharpening the organisation’s campaigning abilities. We must be an active organisation which lobbies, and argues the case for you.’
He also announced a new cross-party commission of LGA party leaders to look at the feasibility of locally-run health services.
Sir Simon won the poll of council leaders with an overwhelming 66% of the vote, easily beating off his two other opponents, Hampshire CC leader, Ken Thornber, and Tandridge DC leader, Gordon Keymer. His win was announced at this week’s LGA conference in Birmingham.
He called for the reactivation of central/local partnership meetings with the secretary of state.
Sir Simon had clear messages for both the LGA and ministers, saying: ‘Our sector has to be far less passive.
‘We’ve got to come forward with solutions, and the LGA must own the improvement agenda rather than being told about it by the Government. The fact is, if we can give ministers solutions, they’ll bite our hands off.’
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