Newham Mayor Sir Robin Wales want more power given to local communities

It has been a huge couple of weeks for the future of our country and I believe there is a big lesson for us all to take from what has happened.

Firstly, the people of Scotland decided they were better together with the rest of the United Kingdom and rejected, by a surprisingly high margin, the financially dodgy idea of Scottish independence.

Secondly, this week’s Labour Party Conference in Manchester has demonstrated to the whole nation that the Labour Party has the ideas, the talented people and the determination to win the General Election on May 7 next year.

At Labour Conference I met with local leaders, from London and beyond, with whom I share a vision of helping local economies, hard working families and the strength of our democracy, by giving more power to local communities.

That was the same message that came through to me from the Scottish Referendum - that people felt engaged by the campaign but disengaged from our national institutions.

Local economic policies, developed by local networks of local government could help drive up prosperity, not only our East End in but many regions across the country.

We could help local people into work more effectively if job creation programmes were based in the local communities that understood them best. And we could drive out unfairness, such as the failure by some employers to pay the national minimum wage, if the powers to do so were held locally.

This isn’t about turning our backs on national institutions

but strengthening them by creating fresh and relevant ways for local communities to engage in all areas that matter to them.

That way, across the whole of the United Kingdom, we could truly be Better Together.

At Labour Conference I met with local leaders, from London and beyond, with whom I share a vision of helping local economies, hard working families and the strength of our democracy, by giving more power to local communities.