House of Commons speaker John Bercow MP backs NALC Lobby Day and urges MPs to get involved

The speaker of the House of Commons, the Rt Hon John Bercow MP, has praised the forthcoming parliamentary engagement day organised by the National Association of Local Councils (NALC) and called on all Members of Parliament to show their support and get involved.

Since 2014 NALC has organised an annual Lobby Day to raise the profile of England’s 10,000 community councils - the first tier of local government in England - in Parliament and build better links with MPs.

Over 50 MPs from across the country have already organised meetings in the Houses of Parliament next Tuesday with councillors from county associations of local councils to discuss a range of local and national issues affecting communities. NALC recently warned MPs about the impact of the Data Protection Bill and General Data Protection Regulation on communities and a new financial burden of over £3.5 million per year.

Mr Speaker said “I was delighted to hear that NALC Lobby Day was happening again this year. Lobby Day is a great opportunity for town and parish councils and county representatives to build strong relationships with their MPs. I think it is vital for communities and will help MPs understand what is happening at a very local level. I applaud NALC for leading this initiative and would encourage MPs and local councils from across the country to get involved.

Deputy speaker, Eleanor Laing MP, will be officially launching Lobby Day next week in Portcullis House at a meeting of NALC’s National Assembly which is made up of councillors from county associations to form the national body’s own Parliament.

Follow what is happening on Lobby Day via NALC’s Twitter account: @NALC and the hashtag #NALCLOBBYDAY.

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