Local Government Secretary has congratulated Wales’
newly-elected councillors and called on them to continue to work
with the Welsh Government on plans for local government reform.
The Cabinet Secretary said:
“I congratulate all councillors – both new and returning – who
were elected last week.
“Local government plays a vitally important role in the lives of
every person in Wales. Councils provide the services which
educate our children, care for the elderly, dispose of our waste
and light our streets.
“Wales’ newly-elected councillors have taken on a valuable role
in our society and know the many responsibilities that come with
public office.
“The coming weeks will be busy as new administrations are formed
and council leaders are elected. Councillors are facing many
challenges but none of us must lose sight of the wider issue of
local government reform.
“After I announced new proposals for local government reform last
year, I have been encouraged by the willingness of leaders to
engage and I’ve had some very constructive and positive
conversations.
“I want to continue this dialogue and work with council leaders
in the same spirit of mutual respect as we take the next steps in
reforming local government in Wales.
The Cabinet Secretary added:
“Inevitably, we will not always agree but I want to stress this
is not an open-ended process – I will listen to different views
but we will be moving forward with mandatory regional working.
“The Welsh public have heard us talking about local government
reform for many years and the time has come to bring this to a
long-lasting resolution.
“We have had thoughtful and well-considered responses to the
White Paper consultation and I will shortly set out our next
steps.
“I will be writing to council leaders over the coming weeks and
am very keen to meet with them over the next few months as we
discuss how we can move forward and build a solid working
relationship for the years to come.”
