Keats wrote of ‘mists and mellow fruitfulness', but for some of us autumn has a different set of signifiers; the rattle of wheely bags, the hiss of train doors, cavernous halls and crowded corridors. Yes, it's conference season.

d this year it really has been a whole season, from the edge of the summer holidays to the brink of Halloween. Whether Liberal Democrat, Labour, Conservative, Solace Scotland, COSLA, the Solace Summit or the rescheduled Local Government Association conference, at LGiU we have covered them all. That's a lot of miles and a lot of hours, but it's a fantastic opportunity to take the temperature of the sector at a crucial time.