News & Events

Listed below are the national news items and national events.

LLG Legal Training Looking For New Speakers
Publish date: 07/08/2020
Are you passionate about your area of law? Do you want to share your expertise with your colleagues and peers? Are you interested in advancing your online presentation skills, whilst also contributing to the professional development of your peers?
LLG Publish Guidance on the Annual Canvass and Data Sharing with the ERO
Publish date: 03/08/2020
LLG have produced the guidance with the cooperation of the Association of Electoral Administrators and the Society of Local Authority Chief Executives for the purpose of assisting each organisation's memberships and their authorities with data sharing between any given department and the Electoral Registration Officer (ERO) in respect of the Annual Canvass and the ERO’s duties generally.
LLG & ADSO Issue Joint Guidance on THE LOCAL AUTHORITIES AND POLICE AND CRIME PANELS (CORONAVIRUS) (FLEXIBILITY OF LOCAL AUTHORITY AND POLICE AND CRIME PANEL MEETINGS) (ENGLAND AND WALES) (AMENDMENT) REGULATIONS 2020
Publish date: 03/08/2020
The Secretary of State has issued the above revised regulations relating to the extension of the remote meeting provision to certain authorities – namely Mayoral Development Corporations, Transport for London, Urban Development Corporations and parish meetings. These Regulations: • extend the definition of ‘local authority’ under the Local Authorities and Police and Crime Panels (Coronavirus) (Flexibility of Local Authority and Police and Crime Panel Meetings) (England and Wales) Regulations 2020 to those bodies • remove the existing requirements on them to hold annual meetings and • allow their meetings to be held remotely using video or telephone conferencing or by other remote means.
The LLG Grapevine Podcast - Week 12
Publish date: 28/07/2020
Talking Law in Local Government
LLG Contributes to New Guidance for Taxi Licensing
Publish date: 22/07/2020
The Department of Transport has this week (21st July 2020) published the long overdue Section 177 Guidance for Taxi Licensing, entitled ‘Statutory Taxi and Private Hire Vehicle Standards’.
The LLG Grapevine Podcast - Week 11
Publish date: 21/07/2020
Talking Law in Local Government
LLG issue Joint Press Release with CIPFA & SOLACE on the Draft Model Code of Conduct
Publish date: 21/07/2020
LLG, CIPFA and SOLACE have jointly written to the Chief Executive of the Local Government Association (LGA), Mark Lloyd, to advise they will work together in response to the draft model code of conduct, currently open for consultation.
LLG seeks your views on the LGA's Draft Code of Conduct and other lobbying opportunities
Publish date: 16/07/2020
LLG is seeking your views on the LGA's Draft Code of Conduct and other lobbying opportunities and welcomes your response to the survey.
The LLG Grapevine Podcast - Week 10
Publish date: 15/07/2020
Talking Law in Local Government
LLG Produce Revised Guidance on Meetings in Person and Hybrid Meetings
Publish date: 08/07/2020
LLG & ADSO have produced revised guidance following the The Health Protection (Coronavirus Restrictions) (No.2) (England) Regulations 2020 (“the Regulations”) which came into force on the 4 July 2020.

Blog

7 August 2020

Publish date: 07/08/2020

Standards. Who doesn't want standards in their local authority to be high, to be widely adopted and consistent across the tiers? Who doesn't want councillors to be both supported and assisted in their role to perform to the best of their ability, and held to account should that performance slide? Who doesn't want officers and clerks to be safe from bullying, and decisions to be free of conflict and bias? The draft LGA model Code of Conduct is tasked with delivering all these things.

The Committee on Standards in Public Life, who are undoubtedly growing weary with the lack of response from Government with respect to their Ethical Standards in Public Life report,have written to Robert Jenrick asking politely when they may expect to hear back, as its now been 18 months. As they say, demonstrable high standards are important in times of crisis. They have simultaneously written to Chief Executives to ask if the CSPL best practice recommendations have been adopted. The improvements sought by the CSPL are long overdue, and we all have a part to play in ensuring they come into fruition.

Everyone views the purpose of the Code from their personal perspective. For LLG, we look at whether standards are clearly explained, and expectations for behaviour set, in order that good decisions will be made and officers will be able to carry out their roles effectively whilstproperly protected.

The LGA, from their perspective, look to provide some support and protection to councillors through the inclusion of the requirement for civility. The use of the word 'civility' in the draft code has raised some eyebrows, with many stakeholders preferring the word 'respect' which creates a stronger impression of the behaviour required. The LGA decided to use 'civility' against the backdrop of their work on Civility in Public Life which looked at the issues councillors faced with respect to public harassment and attacks on social media, and not without cause; – this week a labour councillor in Kensington and Chelsea was firebombed in his own home.

The Government too must play their part. A Code without sanctions is a code without teeth. A code without statutory protection for officers does not afford much needed protection for monitoring officers who sometimes need to be brave and hold their local authority to account, without fear of it being career limiting. Indeed, your recent responses to our survey showed overwhelming support for sanctions,

At LLG we believe you deserve the whole package, and we will lobby for it accordingly.

Best wishes

Deborah Evans

CEO