Providing sanctuary for refugees
Neil Merrick finds out what councils across the country are doing to welcome and resettle Syrian refugees.
A tale from Shakespeare Country – comedy or tragedy?
11/11/2019 Goings on in deepest Warwickshire suggest a hinterland of a dark and oppressive culture of sexism, says Mark Whitehead |
Council leader of the year is announced
06/11/2019 Cllr Darren Rodwell of London Borough of Barking and Dagenham has been named as council leader of the year in the 2019 Cllr Achievement Awards. |
Preventing and tackling abuse of councillors
05/11/2019 Clare Hardy explores how parish councils and local authorities can tackle and prevent the abuse of councillors. |
Councillors apologise to staff over 'pagan ritual' offer
25/10/2019 Two councillors have apologised in writing to their entire council staff following an investigation into sexist behaviour which included telling a woman she had 'good breeding hips' and offering to perform a pagan ritual. |
Parish council shuts down after abusive calls and hate mail
11/10/2019 A parish council in Greater Manchester has been dissolved after councillors reported experiencing intolerable levels of abuse. |
The safety of data on councillors’ personal devices
08/10/2019 Following the publication of the ICO data protection toolkit for local councils, Liz Page looks in detail at one of the issues highlighted: the use of councillor’s own devices being used for council work purposes. |
Brighton councillors criticise arms manufacturer for ‘deadly bombs’ used in Yemen
02/10/2019 Councillors in Brighton have called on the Government to stop a local business from manufacturing ‘deadly bombs and weapons’ after the company was named in a UN report. |
Babergh council considers changing name to ‘eliminate confusion’
20/09/2019 Councillors at Babergh District Council are planning on changing the local authority’s name because outsiders struggle to pronounce ‘Babergh’. |
Man admits sending anthrax hoax to councillors and MPs
23/08/2019 A man has pleaded guilty to sending fake anthrax to female councillor and MPs over a period of three years. |
Councils urged to protect councillors from abuse
03/07/2019 Councils are being urged to take steps to protect councillors from abuse and intimidation in a new guide published today. |
Councils still dominated by male politicans, says Fawcett Society
02/07/2019 Women’s representation in local government is ‘at a standstill’ according to the Fawcett Society. |
Council elections: Warning over lack of progress on female representation
02/05/2019 Only 34% of all candidates running in today’s local elections are women, new research has revealed today. |
BAME communities ‘underrepresented’ at the local level, audit reveals
26/04/2019 The underrepresentation of minorities at the local level gives the impression that local leaders ‘don't care about representative democracy’, campaigners say. |
Review finds lack of due diligence over council's commercial workspace project
21/03/2019 King’s Lynn & West Norfolk BC should ‘build on the lessons learned’ from the construction of a state-of-the-art commercial workspace, the council’s chief executive has said. |
Abuse and funding cuts force council leader to resign
12/03/2019 The pressure of funding cuts and increased abuse have led to the leader of North East Lincolnshire Council stepping down from his role. |
Standards of conduct in local government
13/02/2019 Tiffany Cloynes and Clare Hardy explore why there could be major changes ahead to the regime for monitoring the standard of conduct of members of local authorities in England. |
Involving young people in local democracy
08/02/2019 With less than 1% of councillors being under the age of 25, just why is it so hard to get younger people to stand for election? Mark Whitehead investigates. |
Less than 1% of councillors are aged under 25
01/02/2019 Under 1% of councillors serving on local councils are aged under 25, new research has revealed. |
Call for power to ban councillors
30/01/2019 Council standards boards should have the power to ban councillors for up to six months without allowances, the Committee on Standards in Public Life has recommended. |
The confusing tale of a councillor, an escort agency and a licencing committee
18/01/2019 Mark Whitehead investigates why a councillor removed from a licensing committee over his connection to an escort agency was not reinstated when cleared of any wrong-doing. |
New Years Honours for Rotherham
29/12/2018 Rotherham MBC commissioner Mary Ney and director of children’s services Ian Thomas have both been recognised in the Queen’s New Year’s honours. |
Councils welcome fund to help disabled people become councillors
03/12/2018 The Local Government Association (LGA) has welcomed a new fund encouraging for people with disabilities to put themselves forward for public office. |
Labour hits out at housing cash shift
12/11/2018 Labour has called for all areas to receive greater Government backing after Whitehall shifted the focus of its housing cash. |
Council's 'core offer' still leaves £33m deficit
05/11/2018 East Sussex CC’s chief executive Becky Shaw has laid out a ‘core offer’ that could risk the council’s ‘ability to meet statutory guidance and deadlines’. |
Councillors silenced on secret fiscal devolution report
31/10/2018 Senior councillors have been warned not to talk about a secret Local Government Association (LGA) report that models what fiscal devolution might look like, The MJ has been told. |
Minister embroiled in 'Oliver Twist' row
24/10/2018 Welsh local authorities have called on the First Minister to consider sacking his colleague in charge of councils after he labelled councillors ‘Oliver Twists’. |
Cambridge's remote-control councillor
22/10/2018 With Cambridge calling to ban councillors from moving too far away from their constituents, Mark Whitehead considers if long-distance communication can ever replace face-to-face communication? |
More than 40 councils sign anti-slavery pledge
19/10/2018 A total of 42 councils have signed a charter aimed at eradicating modern slavery in their supply chains. |
People convicted of serious crimes banned from councils
19/10/2018 Rules to prevent people found guilty of serious crimes from serving on local councils will be strengthened following a public consultation, the Government has announced. |
Clerks and councillors: Raising their game
25/09/2018 Neil Merrick outlines the five key areas that parish and town councillors should be trained in. |
Whitehall demands in-year cuts to improvement programme
19/09/2018 The sector’s ability to respond to crises such as a care provider failure could be hit after Whitehall demanded cuts to a key improvement programme, senior councillors have been warned. |
Councillor designs ‘virtual’ Facebook councillor
05/09/2018 The Redditch councillor who set up David Cameron’s official Facebook page has designed his own chatbot service to help local people communicate with the council. |
Largest ever transformation could save millions
30/08/2018 Oxfordshire CC’s largest ever transformation initiative could save up to £58m a year, officers have estimated. |
Over 6,000 houses nearly blocked due to councillor objections
23/08/2018 Over 6,000 new homes will now be built after councillors’ objections were overturned on appeal, planning consultants have found. |
Local councils call for single code of conduct
07/08/2018 The majority of town and parish councils support the introduction of a single, mandatory code of conduct, according to a new poll. |
Tory councillors agree councils should have power over fracking plans
03/08/2018 The majority of Tory councillors (80%) believe fracking companies should be required to submit a planning application before drilling, according to the results of a new poll. |
Somerset warns of possible Section 114
13/07/2018 Somerset CC has admitted it may have to impose ‘severe spending restrictions’ and an ‘emergency budget’ by issuing a Section 114 notice. |
Local government figures celebrated in Queen's birthday honours
11/06/2018 The former interim chief executive of Birmingham City Council, Stella Manzie, has been made a Dame in the Queen’s birthday honours for services to local government. |
Brokenshire announces Northamptonshire commissioners
09/05/2018 New local government secretary James Brokenshire has today announced the two commissioners appointed to help rescue troubled Northamptonshire CC. |
Councillors warn housing crisis is getting worse
02/05/2018 More than six out ten local councillors think the housing crisis is getting worse, with 43% agreeing the Green Belt should be reviewed, a new survey has revealed. |
'Agreeable’ politicians not necessarily the most effective, study finds
30/04/2018 Politicians who voters see as ‘agreeble’ and ‘trustworthy’ are not necessarily the most effective at their jobs, researchers reveal. |
Labour leader ousted from district council after vote of no confidence
27/04/2018 Labour have lost control of Ashfield District Council after cllr Cheryl Butler lost a motion of no confidence. |
Local elections 2018: Decision time on local services
18/04/2018 What issues will the main political parties be focusing on in the upcoming local elections? Mark Whitehead investigates. |
The harassment and intimidation of local councillors
06/04/2018 From death threats to online harassment, just why are councillors subject to increasing levels of abuse? Neil Merrick investigates. |
Kober: Politics is a team game. Councils nationally must unite
28/03/2018 Claire Kober calls on local government politicians across the country to come together to argue for a fairer funding formula |
Tributes paid following the death of Britain's youngest councillor
28/03/2018 Clarissa Slade, Britain’s youngest councillor, died suddenly on Monday at the age of 21. |
Councillors pledge to eradicate modern slavery from their supply chains
23/03/2018 Labour and Co-operative councillors have pledged to ensure none of the money they spend on procuring goods and services inadvertently ends up supporting exploitation or trafficking. |
Councillors to be equipped with 'community organising' skills
16/03/2018 A new partnership will soon equip councillors with ‘community organising’ skills to help them engage more effectively with their local communities. |
Leader of Brighton and Hove City Council resigns
27/02/2018 The leader of Brighton and Hove City Council, Warren Morgan, has resigned. |
Harlow leader resigns citing Momentum pressure
02/02/2018 The leader of Harlow Council has resigned arguing he was forced out by left-wing activists who were in pursuit of ‘ideological purity’. |
Tory councillors all resign from local council
02/02/2018 All the Conservative councillors on a town council have resigned after claims of harassment and bullying from the public. |
Council leader survives vote of no confidence following homelessness letter
30/01/2018 The council leader who called for rough sleepers to be removed from the streets of Windsor ahead of the royal wedding has survived a vote of no confidence. |
Councillors to kick-start joint plans with London mayor
26/01/2018 More than 100 council leaders and councillors from the south-east and east of England will today meet London mayor Sadiq Khan to kick-start joint plans. |
Ex-council deputy leader 'breached' code of conduct over parking fines
11/01/2018 The former deputy leader of Sandwell Council has breached the code of conduct for underselling a public toilet to a friend, and attempting to quash parking tickets for his wife and children. |
Councillors to get pay rise amid budget cuts
12/12/2017 Norfolk CC has voted a big increase in councillors allowances at a time when services across the county are facing cuts. |
Kober reselected for Haringey seat
09/11/2017 The chair of London Councils and leader of Haringey LBC has fought off a challenge from Labour activists to keep her council seat. |
Giving councillors a voice
08/11/2017 Local government must organise itself to support its councillors in their interactions with external agencies, write Professor Colin Copus and Rachel Wall. |
Councillors of the year are unveiled
08/11/2017 Cllr Peter Fleming of Sevenoaks District Council has been named as leader of the year in the 2017 C’llr Achievement Awards. |
UKIP councillors defect to Tories to ‘see Brexit through’
31/10/2017 Seven UKIP councillors from Great Yarmouth have resigned from the party and joined the Conservatives. |
Lack of funding are leaving children's needs unmet, councillors warn
31/10/2017 Two-thirds of councillors have warned their council doesn’t have enough funding to provide universal services for children and families, according to a new survey. |
Half of Tory councillors warn cuts are damaging children’s services
23/10/2017 Over half of Conservative councillors polled believe Government funding cuts have made it harder for their council to deliver legally-required responsibilities for children and young people, charity says. |
Elected members in Cornwall could be cut by a third
27/09/2017 The number of councillors at Cornwall Council should be cut from 123 down to 87, an electoral review has recommended. |
Labour promise to deliver local government ‘renaissance’
25/09/2017 Councils would be £1.5bn better off under a Labour Government, the shadow secretary of state for communities and local government tells Labour conference |
New rules strengthen standards for councillors and mayors
19/09/2017 Anyone found guilty of serious crimes will be banned from serving on local councils under new rules, local government minister says. |
Council calls for extra power to make councillors more accountable
29/08/2017 Voters should have the power to recall councillors that fail to attend meetings or are convicted of a crime, according to calls from Thurrock Council. |
Councillors force review of controversial £2bn regeneration scheme
14/07/2017 Lib Dem councillors have forced a review of Haringey’s controversial £2bn regeneration scheme. |
Councillors lack confidence in health reforms
05/07/2017 More than three-quarters of councillor are not confident that the redesign of health and care services will success, a new poll has revealed. |
Rugby council official and wife found dead
31/05/2017 A senior official at Rugby Borough Council has been found dead with his wife, it has been confirmed. |
House and Sykes battle for LGA role
25/05/2017 A council leader will battle it out with a backbench councillor to lead the Lib Dem group at the Local Government Association (LGA). |
Love is in the chamber! Council chairman uses final speech to propose to colleague
22/05/2017 An outgoing Lincolnshire councillor has concluded his term as chairman in an unusual fashion - by proposing to one of his colleagues. |
Launch of councillor's guide to planning
19/05/2017 A new guide has been launched to give local councillors tips on how to plan for their neighbourhoods. |
Tory councillor suspended after racist Eurovision tweet
15/05/2017 A Conservative councillor has been suspended following a racist tweet he made during the Eurovision song contest. |
Councillors aim for Westminster
05/05/2017 Several well-known councillors have begun campaigns to move into Westminster. |
Sexism is ‘commonplace’ in local government finds research
26/04/2017 Nearly four in ten female councillors have experienced sexist comments from council colleagues, with 10% being victims of sexual harassment, a new report has revealed. |
Councillors not ‘digital dinosaurs’, survey argues
21/04/2017 The majority of councillors are not ‘digital dinosaurs’, but digital exclusion and fear of the digital divide are still major issues, new research reveals. |
Man charged for compiling ‘hit-list’ of Durham councillors
19/04/2017 A man who claimed he would take out ‘contracts’ on 57 Labour councillors in Durham has been charged by the police. |
New councillors need to ‘plan effectively’ for long term, auditors say
07/03/2017 Scottish councillors elected in May need to ‘plan effectively’ for the long term and work with their local communities when deciding key priorities, auditors say. |
Senior councilor resigns following hijab row
03/03/2017 A council equality chief has stepped down from his role after being criticised for claiming a school had contravened the Equalities Act by banning pupils from wearing hijab headscarves. |
Councillor suspended for lewd comments made to hunting campaigner
26/01/2017 A Conservative councillor has been suspended from Breckland Council after being filmed making lewd comments at a hunting protester. |
Local planning system ‘weighted’ towards developers, councillors say
11/01/2017 The majority of councillors think the planning system is ‘too weighted’ in favour of developers, according to a new survey. |
Whitechapel councillor pleads guilty to fraud
27/09/2016 A Tower Hamlets councillor has pleaded guilty to housing fraud after appearing in court yesterday. |
Commission publishes changes to boundaries in Birmingham
07/09/2016 Birmingham will be represented by nineteen fewer councillors in the future, under proposals for the new electoral arrangements across the city. |
Councillor resigns after abandoning tax-payer funded Legoland trip
02/09/2016 Councillor resigns after abandoning a Danish Legoland conference because he was unhappy with his accommodation. |
'Hardcore' protestors force council to review security
09/08/2016 A London council has been forced to review its security and access arrangements after council staff and councillors were subject to aggression and abuse from protestors. |
Leadership from councillors 'important for integration'
06/07/2016 Political leadership is essential for integration because only elected members have the necessary mandate to ‘bring people together’, according to a speaker from a workshop session at the LGA conference. |
Councillor suspended for offensive Jo Cox comment
22/06/2016 A Yorkshire councillor has been suspended after he made offensive comments about the charity fund set up in memory of murdered MP Jo Cox. |
Sexist hat-based tradition causes controversy
10/05/2016 A row over double standards in a Norfolk council has erupted after a councillor complained women have to ask permission from the mayor before removing ceremonial hat—but men don’t. |
Cornwall’s councillor’s set for first pay rise in four years
06/05/2016 An independent panel has recommended Cornwall’s councillors should receive an allowance rise of more than £1,600. |
This issue of Local Government News explores how councils can tackle modern slavery and trafficking in their supply chains, finds out more about Cambridge's first cohousing scheme and the launch of a new project to build a shared service pattern library for local government.
This issue also contains a special focus on children's services and how councils are protecting children following local safeguarding children boards being abolished.
