So, I’ve come to the Liberal Democrat Autumn Conference here in Brighton. Admittedly, that’s because I’m a Liberal Democrat, but also because I’ve got things to do.
As a member of Federal Council, it’s important to me to talk to members and find out what’s going on, but I’m also here in my new capacity as the apparently prospective new Chair of the Smaller Councils Committee of the National Association of Local Councils (NALC), talking about the importance of our sector. And given that many of our new MPs represent parished areas, we want to encourage them to work with, and preferably reach out to, the Town and Parish Councils on their patches. I’ll admit that we’d like to work with them on promoting our agenda too.
As a means of picking up issues, and of gaining local support, working with the sector gives you a door into some of the hyper-local issues that help to build support for you if you can address them. And, through Parish newsletters and social media platforms, you can expand your reach beyond overtly party political leaflets.
So, that means encouraging MPs to reach out to their County Associations, supporting town councils with advice, working with ALDC (whose responsiveness is greatly appreciated) on their upcoming event for Town and Parish councillors. And, from my perspective, ensuring that the role and scope of smaller, often non-party political, Parish Councils is not overlooked.
If you’d told me fifteen years ago that I’d be playing any sort of significant role in the world of local government’s lowest tier, I’d probably have looked at you slightly quizzically. It just goes to show what living in a small village can do for you…
No comments:
Post a Comment