Blog: Friday 30th May 2025 - Paul Turner, LLG President

So that’s the first month as LLG president completed.  It’s been busy for me but busier for Ann and Deborah as they prepare for the Spring Conference.  Day 1 is hybrid in Bristol on Friday 6 June and online only on Friday 13 June.  Tickets are still available if you’re interested.  It would be great to see you if you can come.

As part of my contribution for the Conference, yesterday I interviewed Jeff Dana, President of the International Municipal Lawyers Association.  We had a really interesting discussion about what our colleagues in the USA do.   Jeff has his own meeting in Seattle so can’t come to Bristol, but he said that LA lawyers are ‘passionately dispassionate’.  So many of the issues we experience are similar.

Today I will be chairing my first board meeting and then attending a memorial service for Suki Binjal, a former LLG President who made a great contribution to the work of LLG.  She is greatly missed by LLG.  I am also sad to report the equally untimely death of Stephen Turner of Kingston upon Hull City Council, who was a huge contributor to LLG’s work to support licensing and a past Chairman of Solicitors in Local Government.

The Government announced this week that level 7 apprenticeships will in future continue to be available only for people under the age of 22.  This may sound like bad news but it really, it’s good news as there was a possibility that they would end them entirely.  At Essex CC we currently have two such apprenticeships, they were recruited straight after sixth form.  They are both so keen to learn and contribute to our work and we feel very privileged to have them.  I am sure they are both stars of the future. It’s a long-term investment – it’s a seven-year programme - but a great way to secure the future of our profession and a way to get people hooked on local authority law at an early stage. 

There's a lot going on, and it's a real privilege to be part of it. Thank you for your continued support and engagement- I'm looking forward to catching up with many of you at the conference.

Thanks for reading.

Paul