06 April 2007
The Local Government Association has been warned that it urgently needs to do more to win back the affection of its grassroots members or risks alienating them further.
An independent commission, chaired by Lord Richard Best, the head of the Joseph Rowntree Foundation, was brought together to conduct a thorough review of the LGA's operations and come up with recommendations that would help the organisation move forward over the next decade.
Its final report, published on April 2, said that while the LGA's outward-facing work was effective, there was dissatisfaction among member councils in the regions.
Best said: 'As my fellow commissioners and I crossed the country talking to councillors and officers, we heard a compelling case for the LGA to work much harder at reconnecting with member authorities.
'The world has changed enormously since 1997; there is an historic opportunity to win a deal on devolution. The LGA can succeed in gaining public support and ensuring government delivers on this prize; but only if it taps more directly into the talent and knowledge of its members.'
The commission recommended the creation of a network of 'councillor ambassadors' to support the association's policy work and act as a bridge between the LGA and its members.
Another commissioner, the journalist Peter Hetherington, said: 'A really rich vein of councillors are up for change. They could add huge value to the LGA and that should be exploited.'
Other recommendations included the creation of a think-tank to be called LGA Futures, which would commission and publish policy proposals without the need for consensus from all parts of the membership.
In addition, the LGA's related bodies, such as the Improvement and Development Agency and Local Government Employers, should consolidate their work in a single group structure under the LGA's leadership, with consistent branding to make it obvious they are part of the same family of organisations.
LGA chief executive Paul Coen welcomed the commission's report and accepted its criticisms. 'We need to deepen and strengthen relations with member councils,' he said. 'Too many of our councils don't feel as well connected to us as they'd like to and we need to turn that round.'
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