Could the Party that grasps localism be on its way to victory in the next General Election or - in an age of austerity - has localism had its day?
Leading localist thinker Alex Thomson will kick off a discussion evening on localism with Kent County Councillor Clive Pearman and Sevenoaks Council Leader Peter Fleming at Rickards Hall in Edenbridge at 7.30pm on Thursday 28th November. It's an open meeting and everyone is welcome to attend.
Heading up the independent think tank Localis, dedicated to local government and localism, Alex will draw on his experience as a policy maker both in government and in opposition.
Prior to joining Localis, Alex was the Conservative Party's specialist policy adviser for decentralisation and local government, leading on the development of the Party's policies on local government, housing and planning, and responsible for writing the Party’s green papers ‘Control Shift’, ‘Strong Foundations’ and ‘Open Source Planning’. He has also worked in central government for various departments including DCLG and Defra, and was part of Boris Johnson’s successful 2008 Mayoral campaign team.
Clive Pearman is a passionate localist, County Councillor and past Chairman of Edenbridge Town Council.
Peter Fleming is Leader of Sevenoaks District Council, is Chairman of the Local Government Associations Improvement Board and is the LGA's National Lead Member on Welfare Reform.
Following opening addresses from each of the speakers, the discussion will open to all for what is likely to be a lively and informed debate on policies that truly matter to local people.