Tag Archives: democracy
LGiU live coverage of the Local Elections 2013
The LGiU and our guest contributors will be live blogging during the 2013 Local Elections on 2 May and throughout the counts the next day.
2013 local elections & the five key questions
There’s just a week to go until the 2013 local elections. May 2nd 2013 will see elections in all the county councils, plus seven unitary authorities and one Welsh unitary authority. Interest in local elections tends to see them …
Councillors on the frontline: Government response to Select Committee Report
This briefing reports on the government’s response to the recent Select Committee inquiry on the role that councillors play in their communities.Key recommendations included the possibility of councils transferring the whole responsibility for setting allowances to independent local bodies, and a review of ways that employers can be encouraged to support those of their staff who serve as councillors. Ministers have not accepted any of the Committee’s specific recommendations. In the response, they set out their view of the role of councillors in the context of localism. This briefing will be of interest to all elected members, member support staff, and those involved in community engagement. Some issues are topical for members and officers with responsibilities for commissioning and procurement policies.
Calling government to account: a perspective on the CLG Select Committee
This briefing reviews the work of the Communities and Local Government Select Committee in the current UK parliament. It considers what to expect of a select committee – its role and remit – and what scope it has for influence. Information is provided on recent reports and current inquiries.The briefing is of interest to all concerned with the implementation of localism, and it draws attention to reports and inquiries on planning, housing, welfare reform, regional policy, the mutual and co-operative provision of services, and the role of councillors
Councillors on the frontline: A Select Committee Report
This briefing outlines the main findings of a Select Committee inquiry on the role that councillors play in their communities, which covered localism, the nature of representation, barriers to becoming a councillor, support and training.
Key recommendations include the possibility of councils transferring the whole responsibility for setting allowances to independent local bodies, and a review of ways that employers can be encouraged to support those of their staff who serve as councillors.
The briefing also draws attention to the government’s announcement that the councillor pension scheme will close in 2014.
It will be of interest to all elected members, member support staff, and those involved in community engagement. Some recommendations are aimed at officers with responsibilities for commissioning and procurement policies.
2013 C’llr Awards: Deadline extended to Friday 18th January!
We have now extended the deadline of the LGiU and CCLA C’llr Awards to Friday 18th January. There are 11 awards up for grabs including a £10,000 scholarship for a councillor keen to fund a project to advance the cause of localism.
Take a risk and reap a reward
A report by the LGiU and Zurich Municipal (pdf) published late last year found that councils are increasingly concerned about their management of risk. In a national survey undertaken with over 90 councils, 50 per cent of respondents described their …
Risk and Reward: local government and risk in the new public realm
A report by the LGiU, in partnership with Zurich Municipal has found that councils are concerned about the future of risk management, after 50 per cent of councils described themselves as ‘risk averse’ in a national survey
C’llr Achievement Awards 2012
LGiU and CCLA are excited to announce that the C’llr Achievement Awards are now open for entries for the 2012 round. Now in their third year, the C’llr Achievement Awards are here to recognise the fantastic work that councillors do …
What we’re actually about: a response to David Walker
David Walker wrote an interesting piece on the Guardian local government network blog yesterday looking at what local government think tanks (including LGiU) and academics predict about the future of local government. Overall, he thinks, we’re all a little too …
