Agenda and minutes

The Chairman elect welcomed the LGA Board to confirm the results of voting in the LGA General Assembly for 2020. In view of regulations to prevent the spread of Covid-19, and in line with the Corporate Insolvency and Governance Act 2020 Schedule 14, this year the LGA General Assembly was held virtually. Representatives were asked to vote via an online form.

 

The Board noted that General Assembly voting had taken place between Wednesday 9 September 2020 and Wednesday 30 September 2020. 148 authorities in LGA membership had voted, and 471 weighted votes were cast.

The General Assembly were invited to elect a President for 2020/21, under Part 3 - Paragraph 9 of the LGA Articles of Association. There was one nomination for LGA President, Lord Kerslake.

 

Lord Kerslake was proposed by Cllr James Jamieson (Central Bedfordshire Council) and seconded by Cllr Nick Forbes CBE (Newcastle upon Tyne City Council).

 

Decision

It was moved, seconded and agreed by the General Assembly that Lord Kerslake be elected President of the Association for 2020/21.

The General Assembly were invited to elect the Chairman of the Local Government Association (LGA) for 2020/21.

 

The LGA’s Articles of Association (Article 21.1) provided for the General Assembly, at its Annual Meeting, to elect a Chairman from amongst the members representing full member authorities.  Under Article 21.2, the largest political group at the point of calculating the political balance would nominate the Chairman of the Association, who under the LGA’s Governance Framework also holds the equivalent office on the LGA Board and the Executive Advisory Board. The Conservative Group, which was the largest political group at the point of calculating the LGA’s political balance for 2020/21, nominated Cllr James Jamieson (Central Bedfordshire Council) to be the Chairman for 2020/21.

 

Cllr Jamieson was proposed by Cllr Izzi Seccombe OBE (Warwickshire County Council) and seconded by Cllr Nick Forbes CBE (Newcastle City Council).

 

Decision

It was moved, seconded and agreed by the General Assembly that Cllr James Jamieson (Central Bedfordshire Council) be elected Chairman of the Association for 2021/22.

The General Assembly were invited to elect four Vice-Chairs for 2020/21 under Article 21.1 of the Articles of Association.

 

Under Article 21.2 of the LGA Articles of Association, each group whose share of the weighted electorate exceeds 5 per cent of the total was entitled to one Vice-Chair. Under the 2020/21 political breakdown four groups – Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Independent – met the criteria and were entitled to one Vice Chair each.

 

Decision

It was moved, seconded and agreed by the General Assembly that the following four Vice-Chairs of the Association were elected for 2021/22:

 

Conservative: Cllr Izzi Seccombe OBE (Warwickshire County Council)
Labour: Cllr Nick Forbes CBE (Newcastle upon Tyne City Council)
Liberal Democrat: Cllr Howard Sykes MBE (Oldham Metropolitan Borough Council)
Independent: Cllr Marianne Overton OBE (Lincolnshire County Council and North Kesteven District Council)

The General Assembly were invited to elect nine Deputy Chairs for 2020/21 under Article 21.1 of the Articles of Association.

 

Under Article 21.2 of the LGA Articles of Association, the larger political groups were entitled to Deputy Chairs according to proportionality. Under the 2020/21 political breakdown four groups – Conservative, Labour, Liberal Democrat and Independent – met the criteria and were entitled to Deputy Chairs as set out below:

 

Conservative: 3

Labour: 4

Liberal Democrat: 1

Independent: 1

 

Decision

It was moved, seconded and agreed by the General Assembly that the following nine Deputy Chairs of the Association were elected for 2020/21:

 

Conservative:
Cllr John Fuller OBE (South Norfolk District Council)
Cllr Robert Alden (Birmingham City Council)
Cllr Teresa O’Neill OBE (Bexley Council)

Labour:
Cllr Michael Payne (Gedling Borough Council)
Cllr Anntoinette Bramble (London Borough of Hackney)
Cllr Tudor Evans OBE (Plymouth City Council)
Cllr Georgia Gould (London Borough of Camden)

Liberal Democrat:
Cllr Ruth Dombey OBE (London Borough of Sutton)

Independent:
Cllr Clive Woodbridge (Epsom and Ewell Borough Council)

The General Assembly were invited to note the appointments of Vice-Presidents for 2020/21, under Article 9.2 of the LGA Articles of Association.

 

Decision

The General Assembly noted the appointment of the following Members of Parliament and Peers as Vice-Presidents for 2020/21:

 

Conservative

·       Charles Walker MP (Broxbourne)

·       Bob Blackman MP (Harrow East)

·       Andrew Lewer MP (Northampton South)

·       Simon Hoare MP (North Dorset)

·       Julia Lopez MP (Hornchurch and Upminster)

·       Tim Loughton MP (East Worthing and Shoreham)

·       Mark Pawsey MP (Rugby and Bulkington)

·       Andrew Selous (South West Bedfordshire)

·       Neil O’Brien MP (HarboroughOadby and Wigston)

·       David Simmonds MP (Ruislip, Northwood and Pinner)

·       Sara Britcliffe MP (Hyndburn)

·       Fiona Bruce MP (Congleton)

·       Mary Robinson MP (Cheadle)

·       Baroness Couttie

·       Lord Whitby

·       Lord True

·       Baroness Eaton

·       Lord Farmer

 

Labour

·       Clive Betts MP (Sheffield South East)

·       Catherine McKinnell MP (Newcastle upon Tyne North)

·       Steve Reed MP (Croydon North)

·       Wes Streeting MP (Ilford North)

·       Catherine West MP (Hornsey and Wood Green)

·       Jim McMahon MP (Oldham West and Royton)

·       Preet Kaur Gill MP (Edgbaston, Birmingham)

·       Helen Hayes MP (Dulwich and West Norwood)

·       Diana Johnson MP (Kingston upon Hull North)

·       Mike Amesbury MP (Weaver Vale)

·       Abena Oppong-Asare (Erith and Thamesmead)

·       Florence Eshalomi (Vauxhall)

·       Feryal Clark MP (Enfield North)

·       Rachel Hopkins MP (Luton South)

·       Dan Jarvis MP (Barnsley Central)

·       Lord Beecham

·       Lord Kennedy of Southwark

·       Baroness Smith of Basildon

·       Lord Smith of Leigh

·       Lord Whitty

·       Lord Bassam of Brighton

·       Lord Filkin

·       Baroness Wilcox of Newport

Liberal Democrats

·       Layla Moran MP (Oxford West and Abingdon)

·       Sir Ed Davey MP (Kingston and Surbiton)

·       Wera Hobhouse MP (Bath)

·       Daisy Cooper MP (St Albans)

·       Tim Farron MP (Westmorland and Lonsdale)

·       Baroness Brinton

·       Baroness Bakewell of Hardington Mandeville

·       Baroness Janke

·       Baroness Scott of Needham Market

·       Lord Shipley

·       Baroness Pinnock

·       Baroness Thornhill

·       Lord Storey

·       Lord Scriven

·       Lord Tope

Independents

·       Lord Best (crossbench)

·       Lord Adebowale (crossbench)

·       Earl of Lytton (crossbench)

·       Lord Bird (crossbench)

·       Baroness Howarth of Breckland (crossbench)

·       Baroness Greengross (crossbench)

·       Baroness Grey-Thompson (crossbench)

·       Lord Bichard (crossbench)

·       Earl of Listowel (crossbench)

·       Bishop of St Albans (crossbench)

·       Baroness Bennett of Manor Castle (Green)

·       Baroness Jones of Moulsecoomb (Green)

·       Lord Wigley (Plaid Cymru)

·       Liz Saville-Roberts MP (Plaid Cymru, Dwyfor Meirionnydd)

·       Ben Lake MP (Plaid Cymru, Ceredigion)

The General Assembly were invited to receive the LGA Group financial statements for the year to 31 March 2020.

 

The report set out the LGA’s consolidated financial statements for the year ended 31 March 2020. They were reviewed by the Audit Committee on 1 June 2020 and approved by the LGA Board on 3 June 2020. They have received an unqualified (clean) audit opinion from the external auditors PKF Littlejohn LLP.

 

Decision

The General Assembly received the LGA Group financial statements for the year to 31 March 2020.

The General Assembly received an overview of areas reviewed and work undertaken by the Audit Committee in 2019/20.

 

Decision

The General Assembly noted the Audit Committee Annual Report for 2019/20. 

Decision

The General Assembly agreed the minutes of the previous meeting held on 2 July 2019 as a correct record.

The Chairman closed the meeting and noted that the next meeting Annual Meeting of the General Assembly would be held on Tuesday 6 July 2021.