On Monday night, the Local Government APPG (for which LGiU provides the secretariat), hosted its annual summer reception on the House of Commons Terrace. It was an evening to celebrate local government but also an opportunity to discuss some of the current challenges facing councils. James Brokenshire MP, Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and […]
Before the local elections on 2 May over 30 councils are in “No Overall Control”. After the results were in there was much more grey on the map. LGiU’s Ingrid Koehler looks at what that means in practice. Council control maps show red for Labour run councils, yellow for Liberal Democrat, Blue for Conservatives and […]
Pleasantly surprising or deeply disappointing? Cause for optimism or despair? Welcome extra cash or hush money? Listen to Jennifer and Jonathan lay out their very different views on the Chancellor’s Budget announcements this week – from potholes to social care, high street regeneration to business rate reliefs. We also bring you highlights from our member-only […]
So farewell Sajid and welcome James Brokenshire as Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government. With local elections on Thursday, it’s an action packed week to be landing in the sector. Depending on how things pan out on Thursday that could be more or less challenging. But in any case, Mr Brokenshire will […]
What can local government expect from 2018? Asks Jonathan Carr-West. The short answer is more uncertainty. In all key areas of government policy that effect local government, 2017 has been a year of drift and there’s little reason to think this will change.
There were no huge surprises in a budget with limited room for manoeuvre, writes Jonathan Carr-West.
What to expect from the budget on Wednesday? LGiU will be providing our usual on the day briefings and comment to give our members an instant take on the announcements relevant to local government. There have been some hints already leaked to the press and the usual swirl of rumours. We’re expecting some announcements on […]
Councils are in policy limbo. With Whitehall and Westminster fully absorbed by the unfolding drama of Brexit, and local government policy narrowed to dealing with the consequences of the Grenfell tragedy, little bandwidth remains for addressing more strategic issues. The LGiU is launching a series of essays, in which we will explore the main challenges facing local authorities and identify some solutions for moving forward.
The political landscape is changing almost hourly and that perhaps offers the potential to change the local-central relationship writes Jonathan Carr-West.
It’s hard to remember the time when local government last went into a general election with so little clarity about its future, writes Lauren Lucas. And the results have hardly illuminated the situation. With the failure of any party to win an absolute majority at such a crucial time in the Brexit negotiations, it would not be extravagant to say the future of the country hangs in the balance.