Two further keynote speakers have today (Friday) been confirmed to speak at this year’s COSLA Annual Conference, the first in person COSLA Annual Conference since 2019.
Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson DBE, Welsh Member of UK Sport and the current Local Government Association President and Roz Foyer, General Secretary STUC will join COSLA President, Councillor Shona Morrison and Humza Yousaf, Scotland’s First Minister, and a range of other speakers at the two-day event in Crieff later this month (Thursday 28 and Friday 29 Sept.).
The theme of this year’s Conference is “Is Scotland Living Well Locally?” and this is the question that will be the subject of spirited debate and forensic examination over the two days.
The COSLA Annual Conference is one of the keynote political events of the year and will once again bring together a range of experts all focused on examining what more Scottish Local Government and its partners can do to achieve better outcomes for our local communities.
COSLA President Councillor Shona Morrison will open the event on the Thursday morning (28 September) with her keynote Presidential Address, highlighting to delegates that as a legitimate sphere of government in Scotland it is right and proper that Scottish Local Government has a real and meaningful partnership with Scottish Government in the form of the recently signed Verity House Agreement.
Commenting ahead of the Conference, Councillor Morrison said: “While Councils and partners continue to work incredibly hard for our communities, we all know that there is still more to do to tackle child poverty, to support a just transition to net zero, and to ensure public services are sustainable into the future and the Verity House Agreement is a vehicle that allows us to deliver on these commitments.”
To examine the question ”Is Scotland Living Well Locally?” this year’s Conference will focus on:
- How we work with our partners across Scotland and the UK.
- Our relationship with Governments and Parliaments.
- Learning from others, how Local Government can improve the way it connects with individuals, communities and businesses.
- How Local Government and partners can build on experiences during COVID to put person - centred services at the heart of public service reform.
- How Local Government Leaders can lead effectively during times of significant change and constrained resources.
- Learning from our Local Government partners.
- Examining what the data is telling us, and how it can be used to inform the future of public services.
The COSLA Conference will also be a celebration of the real difference Local Government makes in terms of innovation and service delivery in the shape of the Annual COSLA Excellence Awards Ceremony which takes place on the Thursday night.