NALC welcomes the government announcement on remote meetings

We strongly welcome the deputy prime minister's announcement that the government is committed to allowing councils to hold remote council meetings.

Since temporary COVID-19 powers ended in May 2021, we have been at the forefront of a national campaign, working closely with the Association of Democratic Services Officers and Lawyers in Local Government and supported by other bodies such as the Society of Local Council Clerks.

In her speech to the Local Government Association Conference on 24 October, Angela Rayner MP said, "It's not our place, for example, to decide whether councillors should attend your meetings remotely or use proxy votes when they need to." She then announced a consultation to "let councils make the decision for themselves."

The government has published the consultation paper, which closes on 19 December 2024. We will respond and encourage all parish and town councils, county associations, and individual councillors and clerks to participate in this essential consultation. Your responses are vital in demonstrating the strong support for this flexibility, building on the momentum from the previous call for evidence.