I look forward to full council. It is one of the few times I dress up formally these days, suite, tie and shiny shoes.

It is, more importantly, a chance to meet up with fellow councillors. A time to exchange ideas and a time to make bonds with other councillors.

West Suffolk Council is very different from Cambridgeshire County Council. It is gentle politics at its best compared to the aggressive environment of Cambridgeshire.

There is little coordinated opposition as most councillors who are not Conservatives are Independents. Or part of the Independent Group, I’m never sure which!

It was impressive how many projects West Suffolk Council are involved in. The are certainly punching above their weight.

I was able to make a short speech encouraging the council to continue building strong relationships with central government and the Local Government Association. These relationships need to be strong and multilayered. Council officers need to link in with civil servants, councillors with ministers. These relationships can be very powerful as I found when leading Cambridgeshire County Council.