Reflections on This Year’s LGA Conference
For around fifteen years now, the first week of July has meant one thing for me – attending the Local Government Association Conference. Whether as a councillor or now as one of the team at Cratus Group it’s the familiar rhythm of early trains, hurried coffees, and the annual reunion of people who care deeply about the future of local government.
This year the local government family headed back to sun baked Bournemouth. And while the conference centre itself is not the best venue in the country, it’s probably fair to say that this was the best LGA conference I’ve ever been too.
There was an unmistakable energy running through the sessions and conversations. Perhaps it was the sheer scale of change facing councils, or perhaps it was the sense that local government is finally – and undeniably – at the centre of national debate. Either way, the atmosphere had a clarity and urgency I haven’t felt in previous years.
Talk across the conference floor was dominated by one topic: local government re-organisation (LGR). Whether in formal sessions or informal chats, everyone seemed to be grappling with the same questions.
- Will the creation of new unitary councils really happen at the pace that the government has suggested?
- Will any of the Judicial Review challenges have any success?
- What will the new Prime Minister’s priorities be for the sector and will this change the course of action?
My colleagues at Cratus Group hosted one of the best sessions on LGR with partners from F3 on the Wednesday morning. The discussions were animated, thoughtful, and helpfully candid. It was clear that this isn’t just a technical exercise – it’s a moment of genuine transformation for the sector.
Having attended the conference for so many years, I’ve seen themes rise and fall, trends come and go, and priorities shift with political tides. But this year felt like a turning point. The conversations were definitely more focused, probably driven by the fact that the stakes are higher than ever.
Despite the fact that recent election results mean there are six different political groups the cross party nature of the conference appeared, by and large, to be as strong as ever..
If this year’s LGA Conference is any indication, the next few years will be some of the most consequential in recent memory for the association as for local government as a whole. The challenges are huge but I remain optimistic about the ability of the sector to rise to those challenges.
The LGA Conference wouldn’t be complete without the Cratus Group fringe programme and this years was as good as ever. Thanks to the ongoing support of partners including Kier Group, BT Business, Vistry and Xylo.ai we were able to run our best fringe programme ever culminating in the Pride Disco at the Vault nightclub on Wednesday evening.
The team at Cratus Towers have already starting planning for Harrogate in 2027. See you there?
