The County Councils Network has appointed the leader of Somerset CC as its interim chair after his predecessor lost his seat in last week’s election.
The group had been led by David Williams (Con), who was leader of Hertfordshire CC. However, he became one of the highest profile local government casualties of the elections when he was defeated by just 41 votes.
Somerset leader David Fothergill (Con), who was CCN’s adult social care and health spokesperson, will now take over as chair until July, when a permanent CCN chairman-elect will be appointed following elections within the largest political party, the Conservatives.
Queen s Speech: No funding pledge on social care reform
The Queen’s Speech fell short of including a Social Care Bill and there was no pledge on funding.
Proposals for reform were mentioned alongside the outline of the Health and Care Bill planned to change the structure of the NHS, aimed at shifting more care away from hospitals towards people’s homes.
In her speech, the Queen said: ‘Measures will be brought forward to support the health and wellbeing of the nation, including to tackle obesity and improve mental health. Proposals on social care reform will be brought forward.’
Solace president Joanne Roney said it was not only disappointing but disconcerting that plans for reform had been further delayed.
BBC News
Published
media captionThe Labour leader says it is 657 days since the PM announced he had a clear plan we have prepared to fix social care.
The lack of a clear government plan to fix social care is unforgivable , Sir Keir Starmer has said.
In Tuesday s Queen s Speech outlining the government s policies for the next year, there was a promise that proposals would be brought forward.
Boris Johnson made a pledge when he became prime minister in 2019 to fix the crisis in social care .
But the Labour leader said it was an insult to a whole nation to have not acted sooner or given further detail.
Queen’s speech pledges planning reform but no details on social care
The Queen’s speech today revealed the government is still intent on overhauling the planning sector this parliament and said “proposals on social care reform will be brought forward” in 2021, while providing few details on these.
Local government representatives have expressed disappointment that more specific social care plans were not announced and warned that the proposals lack clarity in other areas.
Notes published alongside the speech say the expected health and care bill will “include provisions to improve the oversight of how social care is commissioned and delivered”, as well as “facilitating greater integration” through Integrated Care Systems.
Shock as well-known sector figures lose their seats
County Councils Network members are reeling from news that their chair David Williams (Con) has been ousted from his Hertfordshire CC seat by just 41 votes, meaning he also lost his national chairmanship.
Elsewhere, other longstanding local government figures from both main parties have also been unseated or face leadership challenges locally.
Although the Conservatives secured a majority of 14 in Hertfordshire, their leader Cllr Williams, who has been CCN chair since 2019, was narrowly beaten by Liberal Democrat candidate Paul de Kort in his seat of Harpenden North East by 2,063 votes to 2,022.
CCN’s executive committee will now work with the Conservatives, which remain the network s largest political group, to put in place an interim leader ahead of an internal election. A new chairman elect will be formally confirmed in September.