Michael Gove praises local government for handling recent challenges

Michael Gove has praised the work done by local government at the Local Government Association’s annual conference and offered thanks for rising to recent challenges.

Local councils have faced challenges over the last few years, with the pandemic, international events and the rising cost of living.

During his speech, the secretary of state for levelling up said:
“Every single one of the major challenges we now face as a country depends on local government. Whether it’s levelling up and tackling inequality, helping the most vulnerable deal with inflationary pressures, reaching net zero, providing out citizens with safe, affordable, warm, decent homes, protecting and enhancing nature, tackling poor health or supporting those who needs social care as our population ages. Without local government playing a leading role, we cannot meet those challenges.”

Gove talked about the strengths of local government giving the examples of Swindon Council using their railway station as a vaccination centre, Oxfordshire pooling resources between the county council and district councils to ensure there was a coherent approach to compliance and enforcement of Covid restrictions, and Oldham working with community leaders to address hesitancy over vaccinations.

As the secretary of state for levelling up, Gove spoke of the importance of the Levelling Up White Paper and giving power to local governments: “It’s not enough to just acknowledge local government’s achievements, we need to ensure local government has more power to make a difference. Power should always and everywhere be exercised as close to the people as possible. Devolution, decentralisation, decisions made by accountable local leaders, that is the path to democratic renewal – the real taking back control.

That’s why the Levelling Up White Paper puts strengthening local leadership and local communities at the heart of our mission to reverse the persistent geographic inequalities which hold back communities across the United Kingdom.”
The government’s levelling up initiative aims to reduce inequality across the country, provide better opportunities and improve the chances available to those from disadvantaged backgrounds.

Gove also mentioned a new body that the government will create, known as the Office for Local Government, which will “shine a light on how local authorities are performing and delivering.”