I attended the LGA conference in Bournemouth last week. An excellent event with many good speakers, including Michael Gove. Most speakers realise that the LGA is cross political and moderate their speeches accordingly. Unfortunately, Angela Rayner, who kindly stepped in to replace Kier Starmer, didn’t get that brief it appears. We had to sit through an embarrassing political rant that would have been better fitted to the coal strikes of the 1970’s. Still, it was the only low point of the conference.

I spent considerable time with councillors from across Suffolk including a number of our County Councillors. We were able to share views and ideas. I pressed hard for the resolution of a housing building problem in Kedington (big hole in the ground). I enjoyed discussing my ideas on how to help Brandon with an Independent councillor. There is much that can be done, with the right approach and sufficient energy and vision.

I was also able to catch up with lots of the great and the good from my days of leading Cambridgeshire County Council. I was expecting to have been forgotten but that was not so (infamy or fame I don’t know). I now have a number of calendar entries to catch up post conference. It is important we look west towards Cambridgeshire and to do that effectively we need to have relationships with the decision makers there.

What is clear is that the political turbulence we are living through doesn’t help local people. It slows decision making, creates uncertainty and encourages council officers to be defensive. The joys of democracy!!!!