Council plans withdrawal from Local Government Association
Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council is to withdraw from the national trade association for local authorities.
The Council will move to cancel its membership of the Local Government Association, saving local taxpayers up to £17,200 a year in membership fees and expenses. From 2022/23 to 2025/26 the saving in fees, plus the time and cost of attending conferences and meetings amounted to £65,700.
Nationally, councils collectively pay around £11 million annually to the LGA, before factoring in the additional cost of conference attendance, travel, accommodation, and officer time. The LGA also pays councillors up to £300 a day to sit on peer review panels, effectively using taxpayers’ money to pay councillors to inspect other councils.
However, the LGA’s own figures show that more than a quarter of respondents are not satisfied with its work, despite councils paying millions into the organisation every year.
Jonathan Gullis, Leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council and Cabinet member for Planning and Town Centres, said:
The Local Government Association is everything people are sick of about the broken Westminster political system. A cosy, self-serving establishment funded by hardworking taxpayers who see absolutely nothing in return.
Tens of thousands of pounds from Newcastle-under-Lyme residents has been funnelled to a flashy Westminster office complete with rooftop bar. The conference trips, hotel stays, travel expenses and officer time spent preparing for and attending these events are all paid for by the taxpayer, with no benefit whatsoever to local people.
It is a talking shop that exists to protect the political class, not the public. Reform UK was elected to do things differently. That means putting taxpayers first, with institutions like the Local Government Association being abolished.”
The Local Government Association describes itself as a politically-led, cross-party organisation representing almost all the different types of council in England.
As well as lobbying Government, its work includes offering member-councils advice and performance audits.
Graham Shaw, Deputy Leader of Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council and Cabinet member for Finance, said:
By the Local Government Association’s own figures, it brings in millions of pounds every year from council ‘subscriptions’.
I would rather spend our contribution here in the borough.
Instead, too much of it has gone towards feathering the nest of a small Westminster focused establishment completely disconnected from the communities paying for it.
Reform UK promised to do politics differently, and under our leadership Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council will not be having any part of it.”