Closing plenary
Is Westminster trying to dismantle local government?
3.45-4.30pm
Lecture theatre one
Explore the rest of the programme →
This event has sold out – click here to join the waiting list →
This closing session will offer a provocative yet constructive finale to the Summit, challenging delegates to leave with renewed resolve. Our closing keynote speaker, Carla Denyer MP, Co-Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales, will provide a provocative but constructive response to the question of whether Westminster is actively trying to undermine local government. Carla’s remarks will be followed by a response from Mo Baines, Chief Executive at the Association for Public Service Excellence, combining sharp analysis, real-life examples and moments of humour. Attendees will be invited to reflect and respond live, adding their voices to the conversation. The session will close with a rallying call to action, urging delegates to return to their communities with clarity, courage and commitment.
Speakers
Sarah Longlands has been the Chief Executive of CLES since 2021, having previously been the organisations’ Director of Policy from 2007-2011. She is an expert in regional and local economic development and argues for economic and social justice and the creation of places which enable people to live good lives. Prior to (re!) joining CLES, Sarah was Director of IPPR North, the dedicated think tank for the North of England and began her career in local government, working in County Durham and North Yorkshire. She has a PhD in Urban Studies from the University of Glasgow.
Carla Denyer MP is the Co-Leader of the Green Party of England and Wales and has been the MP for Bristol Central since July 2024. In 2015 she was elected as a local councillor in Bristol, a role she was in for 9 years. In 2018, she wrote and proposed the first Climate Emergency declaration in Europe. This bold initiative has since been adopted by 570 UK councils, the UK Parliament, and the Scottish and Welsh Governments. Before entering politics, Carla was an engineer in the renewable energy industry, specialising in offshore and onshore wind energy. Working in the sector, she saw that the solutions to create a greener, safer future are already available; what is lacking is the will of our political leaders.
Mo Baines is Chief Executive at the Association for Public Service Excellence (APSE), visiting professor at the University of Staffordshire’s Centre for Business, Innovation and the Regions and sits on the Board of the Ministry of Housing Communities and Local Government. Mo has served in a number of other public sector roles over the course of her career and has authored and contributed to a number of public policy research papers and publications on service delivery and insourcing, housing and planning, workforce matters and local government finance. Mo has throughout her career worked closely with public sector trade unions, local councils and councillors across the UK and is passionate about the value of local government services to communities.
Explore the rest of the programme →
