LGA told to suspend recruitment of Chief Exec

Cllr David Parsons, a candidate for Chairman of the Local Government Association, has called on the LGA to withdraw an advertisement for a new Chief Executive.

In a statement Cllr Parsons says:

“I was very disappointed to hear from John Ransford that the LGA is about to go to the expense of placing advertisements for a chief executive. Having decided to employ recruitment consultants, the current leadership is continuing to fly in the face of political reality and waste more public money. No Council would seriously look to progress the recruitment of a permanent chief executive immediately prior to a change of political leadership.

“I call for the advertisements to be withdrawn and for the LGA to wait for the arrival of the new leadership before taking any further steps. My first move if elected as LGA Chairman will be to stop the recruitment process formally and appoint an interim director for a transition period.

“The LGA’s members tell me they want to break with the past and a fresh approach to the way the organisation is run. They want a different form of leadership who will engage them in deciding the shape and style of a new LGA. Only then should the LGA move to recruit its most senior officer.”

LGA Labour leader accuses Pickles of "totalitarian tendencies"

Cllr David Sparks, the leader of the Labour Group on the Local Government Association has accused the Communities Secretary Eric Pickles of a "Stalinist approach" and "totalitarian tendency". Cllr Sparks was speaking to The Times (£).

Leave aside the ludicrous and offensive hyperbole of Cllr Sparks remarks. The particular absurdity is that Cllr Sparks has gone on record as opposing spending transparency. Far from Stalinist centralisation there has been more freedom for councils from central control - as well as more accountability to local residents.

Cllr parks also claims there "has been the most partisan regime" at the DCLG "that there has ever been." This is curious comment - not only as the Ministerial team includes a Lib Dem MP Andrew Stunnell. But also because Eric Pickles has been perfectly willing to criticise Conservative councils for paying Chief Executives salaries that are too high and an array of other matters - Croydon over cutting voluntary sector funding, Barnet over increasing councilor allowances, my Council over having a council newspaper. He has also praised Lib Dem councils and Labour Councils quite often - for instance over sharing services. Pickles offers a straight consistent message to councils - regardless of which Party is in control.

Cllr Sparks is paid £37,878 of public funds by the LGA for his posturing - in additon to his Dudley Council allowances. His comments are not merely untrue but the opposite of the truth.

A Time for Change at the LGA

Cllr Sir Merrick Cockell explains why he is standing for Chairman of the Local Government Association

I’m standing for LGA Chairman because it’s time for a fresh start with an invigorated leadership of the Association and its Conservative Group.

I believe in locally accountable public services and local leadership. But for local government not to be subservient or susceptible to divide and rule by national government it needs a representative body capable of speaking with a strong and united voice. And it needs to show value – for money and in its activities – so that councils want to be members and gain from acting together.

For some, mainly Conservative-led, the reverse has been true and they have left or given notice. A fresh approach is needed urgently.

Why I'm standing for Chairman of the LGA

Cllr David Parsons, the Conservative leader of Leicestershire County Council, says the LGA needs to change

This  morning, I will be announcing that I am running to be chairman of the Local  Government Association.

As  Conservatives, I suspect the instinct of many of you will be suspicion about why we need an organisation that sprang to life under the last Government. After all, the coalition Government has been busily scything its way through the quangocracy, so why spare the LGA? Why does it matter?

It  matters because the country¹s councils deserve a platform that showcases the best of what they do, and provides the tools and advice for others to get better. As you may know, I lead for the LGA on improvement, and that work has involved coming up with practical ways to share expertise, promote efficiency and do more for less. It has led the charge in urging the Government to abandon the thousands of tick box measures previously imposed on local government to measure efficiency.

However, all too often, LGA members ­those who pay the membership fees  ­are made to feel like spectators watching an unedifying spat between central Government and the local authority world. When it is not trading ineffectual blows with the DCLG, the LGA is often cornered into performing its other role, as a professional apologist when councils get it wrong.  We need to do more to convince councils that  membership of the LGA is an investment that yields local  dividends.

Cllr Richard Kemp should publish his LGA expenses

The Sunday Express has a story about the expenses claims of Cllr Richard Kemp, a Lib Dem councillor in Liverpool and the leader of the Lib Dem group on the Local Government Association.

He has a second home in Brixton, south London, and has been paid an overnight allowance from the LGA for trips to London.

The report states:

LGA rules state that such “exceptional” allowances can only be paid after negotiating reduced rates at approved hotels.

They also state that the LGA “does not contribute to the cost of second homes for councillors,” but Mr Kemp has been granted a special deal that allows him to circumvent that policy.

A spokesman says the cost to the Council Taxpayer of this arrangement represents "value for money".

Most Councils are cutting the back office while protecting the front line

An interesting survey by  the Local Government Association of Finance Directors of all 349 councils in England asking where the axe will fall.

Just over half were amending downwards the terms of their redundancy schemes. 58% of councils  were targeting "Central Services" (admin) for proportionately greater savings. That's good, I suppose. But my modest grasp of maths tells me that leaves 42% of councils are not targeting that area for proportionately greater savings.

It then asks which other areas have had particularly high spending cuts - but that doesn't tell us how those savings have been achieved. Some have assumed it is by service cuts but that will vary from case to case.

Eaton says charities should cut back admin too

Baroness Eaton, Chairman of the Local Government Association, has told charities facing grant cuts that they should look for savings in management costs just as local councils themselves are.

Interviewed for The Times (£) she says:

“I think the bottom line is that when councils are having to look so closely at their expenditure then so should the voluntary sector .

“They do invaluable work but you can’t expect local authorities to have to trim and cut every overhead that is unnecessary but then not always apply that to the voluntary sector.”

She is quite right. While councils should seek to maintan total funding for voluntary groups there should be rigour. They should not just keep funding the same groups ever years. New ones should be given a chance. Decisions shoould not be on a basis of box ticking regarding health and safety or Equal Opportuities policies but on whether the groups keep their admin to a minimum and provide a really worthwhile service.

The LGA fat cats

One useful role for the Local Government Association could be offering Town Halls some tips of streamlning layers of senior management. Unfortunately the LGA is in no position to do - it is a worse offender in this regard than any local council.

Look at these salaries for the LGA "family." Why does the LGA needs three levels of chief executives? The CE John Ransford, The Deputy CE Jo Miller and the newly appointed Assistant CE Corin Thomson. This is an organisation that doesn't deliver any services to the public - yet has more levels of chief executives than even a large local council.

There are a further 20 people at LGA with salaries in excess of £85,000, another three at Local Government Employers in excess of £95,000, another three at Local Government Regulation £85,000 and another one at Local Government Leadership at £100,000

That makes a total of 55 people at the LGA Group on salaries in excess of £80K, although the average salary comes to £90k. The organisation does not employ one single teacher, nurse, practicing social worker, care assistant, doctor, police man or any other 'frontline worker'. Does it really need a 'National Adviser - Partnership' on £85,000 - about £30,000 more than the council she is from?

Why Windsor & Maidenhead is leaving the LGA

Cllr Liam Maxwell, the lead member for Policy and Performance at the Royal Borough of Windsor and Maidenhead, reports

In March last year Windsor and Maidenhead voted to leave the LGA. It is a bizarre set of rules that require one year’s notice but our time is almost up and we’re about to finally leave.

During this year we have had a wide range of discussions with members and officers to try and identify what benefit we gain from the £40,000 that it costs us to be a member.

The report is here and it gives an even-handed approach to the costs and benefits involved. However of the 10 reasons cited for lobbying successes, almost all of these have been down to the change of government and not the LGA.

Brighton and Hove serve notice to quit on LGA

The Municipal Journal reports that Brighton and Hove City Council has given in notice to leave the Local Government Association.

The report says:

Brighton’s leader, Mary Mears, said the council was going through the budget ‘line by line’, in an effort to protect frontline services.

She added: ‘In order to withdraw in 2012, if that is what we eventually decide, we need to give 12 months’ notice.’

The council joins 10 other authorities which are currently on notice, in addition to five councils which have left the association.

The total sub is nearly £80,000.

A very encouraging sign.