Rutland County Council leader on the Liberal Democrat Conference in Bournemouth

I have recently returned from the Liberal Democrat Conference in Bournemouth, where I was able to represent Rutland’s interests at a national level, writes Gale Waller, leader of Rutland County Council (Lib Dem).

I attended two invitation-only round table discussions, one on transport in the East Midlands and the other on local government more widely. The first was attended by industry representatives, a couple of other councillors, three MPs and a peer of the realm.

I made the point that investment in transport infrastructure in the East Midlands was lower than any other region of the country and had been for a number of years. The plans for an eastern leg of HS2 had been cancelled some while ago and the subsequent plan to fully electrify the Midlands Main Line is also now postponed, with no date for a revival of the scheme. The Midland Main Line route might seem remote to those of us in Rutland and South Lincolnshire, but it is an important transport link in the East Midlands. If electrified, it would bring an economic boost to our region which would benefit us all.

I also spoke about the A1. I recognise National Highways is making the A1 through Rutland and Lincolnshire safer, by closing off the various crossing points, but far more is needed. The A1 is the national highway serving the east of England. It provides a key route north/south for the transportation of goods and people and, as such, is key to economic development along its length.

Much of the A1 is motorway standard but the stretch though Rutland and Lincolnshire is not even a good quality dual carriageway. This is a national disgrace and I firmly made the point at the round table I attended.

The second round table to which I was invited was attended by Vicky Slade, the Liberal Democrat spokesperson for local government. Vicky fully understood our concerns about local government reorganisation and devolution and is representing our collective interests in Parliament. However, the Government has a very large majority and opposition amendments to bills rarely get passed. At this round table we also discussed the financial burden on local authorities of SEND funding. Children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities require support to access education. In recent years, the costs have escalated but national outcomes for young people with SEND have not improved.

Here in Rutland, we have recognised national research that indicates most young people with SEND have better outcomes when educated in mainstream schools with the right support. Rutland schools are keen to be inclusive and we have been working with them to ensure more Rutland SEND children and young people are educated in a mainstream setting. We have also invested in our preschools to ensure more of our youngsters are ‘school ready’ when the time comes.

I also participated in a number of workshops on local government issues ranging from housing to adult services, as well as listening to the speakers in the main auditorium. Overall, it was a very full few days and it is always good to get recognition for work that has a positive impact. The Local Government Association’s Liberal Democrat office has produced a booklet on council successes, where Rutland is featured multiple times. If you’d like to read this in more detail, it can be found on the Local Government Association website: www.local.gov.uk/publications