A warm welcome to our new Prime Minister Liz Truss and to our new secretary of state Simon Clarke, who is returning to the department, along with all of the ministerial team.

My message to them is simple: in district councils, like the other parts of local government, they will find willing partners to assist them in their goals. Quite simply, the Government cannot achieve its aims without working alongside and along with councils – we're the bodies that make things happen locally.