25 October 2024The Society of Local Council Clerks (SLCC) welcome the government’s announcement to introduce proposals enabling remote council meetings, marking a significant victory in our long-standing campaign for greater flexibility in local democracy.
Deputy Prime Minister and Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, the Rt Hon Angela Rayner MP, announced at the Local Government Association’s (LGA) 2024 Conference in Harrogate on Thursday 24 October, that the government will seek views on allowing councils to determine their own approach to virtual meetings and proxy voting.
“This announcement represents a breakthrough moment for local democracy in England and would offer the prospect of matching the effective flexibilities retained in Wales after the Covid measures ended,” said Adam Keppel-Green FSLCC, SLCC Chair. “We have consistently advocated for these changes, which will make local government more accessible and inclusive. The SLCC’s position has always been that councils should have the flexibility to choose meeting formats that best serve their communities. ”
The proposed reforms align with SLCC’s long-held position that remote meeting options are essential for:
- Enabling participation from those with caring responsibilities
- Supporting councillors managing illness or disability
- Increasing diversity in local democracy
- Enhancing accessibility to local decision-making
The government has opened its consultation on these changes on its website here. The consultation is live and runs until 19 December 2024.
It is also possible to complete a response online at the UK.Gov citizens’ space.
Responses are invited from councils, individual councillors, members of the public and local government representative organisations. SLCC will be making its own response to the consultation under the last category and would welcome input from members, which can be submitted to Michael King, Head of Policy and External Communications, [email protected] by 5 December.
