EXCLUSIVE: Succession headache for sector
Multi-million-pound redundancy bill in shake-up of Worcestershire councils
Care home fraud uncovered by Dudley Council
Councils need more backing to manage investment risks, Localis warns
10 ways councils can boost staff retention
Budget strain and heavy workloads are driving council staff away. Here are 10 simple changes that can make a big difference.
Mayors call for real Living Wage for care workers
28/10/2025 Mayors Andy Burnham and Kim McGuinness have signed an open letter urging Government to guarantee all adult social care workers are paid the real Living Wage. |
Reform UK councillors expelled after leaked video
28/10/2025 Two suspended Reform UK councillors from Kent have reportedly been expelled from the party due to misconduct allegations. |
Councils to fund half of increased labour costs under fair pay agreement
27/10/2025 Local authorities are projected to fund over half of increased labour costs passed on by providers as a result of the fair pay agreement for social care. |
Local colleges invited to consider council careers
27/10/2025 Students have benefitted from the opportunity to participate in council officer activities to boost interest in local politics. |
Roney legal case collapses
24/10/2025 A court case accusing Birmingham City Council chief executive Joanne Roney of an antisemitic slur has collapsed as ‘there was not a shred of evidence’. |
Audit contracts extended by two years
23/10/2025 Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA) has extended its current audit contracts by two years following mutual agreement with the appointed firms. |
LGPS bigger than it has ever been
23/10/2025 Local Government Pension Scheme has continued to grow in size and is bigger than it has ever been, the latest release of statistics from the MHCLG has shown. |
Council pension fund launches poll on responsible investment
22/10/2025 Lewisham Council is inviting members of its pension fund to take part in a new survey on responsible investment, helping guide investment decisions. |
Reform UK election challenge dismissed by High Court
22/10/2025 A Reform UK candidate who contested a tied local election result in Worcestershire has had her legal challenge dismissed by the High Court. |
Local Government Associations unite against abuse
21/10/2025 The UK's Local Government Associations have issued a statement reaffirming their commitment to protecting democratic participation and civility in public life. |
EXCLUSIVE: Section 151 recruitment crisis warning
21/10/2025 The sector is facing a recruitment crisis for section 151 officers, The MJ has been told. |
Reorganisation plan promises £44m annual savings
21/10/2025 A plan published today sets out how reorganisation across Leicester, Leicestershire and Rutland could deliver savings of £44m a year by streamlining staffing. |
Council pension funds pile pressure on firms over climate
20/10/2025 Firms have been put under renewed pressure by the Local Authority Pension Fund Forum (LAPFF) to allow shareholders a vote over their climate transition plans. |
Council called out for failing to pay minimum wage
20/10/2025 Coventry City Council has been named among nearly 500 employers found to have underpaid staff the National Minimum Wage, according to the Government. |
Warrington looking at security measures for staff over flag removal
13/10/2025 Warrington Council is looking at implementing costly security measures to protect staff removing St George's cross and Union flags. |
Ballot error costs taxpayers £2,200
13/10/2025 Taxpayers in Birchington face a £2,200 bill following an election error that requires a re-run for the Birchington Parish Council (BPC). |
GMB: Knowsley equal pay claim could cost council tens of millions of pounds
10/10/2025 Knowsley Council ‘could face tens of millions of pounds’ in equal pay claims, the GMB trade union has claimed. |
Social care fair pay 'unlikely to be sufficient'
10/10/2025 Doubt has been cast on whether the adult social care fair pay agreement will have the impact claimed by ministers. |
Waste collection staff reveal declining post-pandemic treatment
07/10/2025 Attitudes towards those working in the waste sector have deteriorated since the pandemic, research reveals. |
Council reveals ‘urgent need’ for drug and alcohol commissioner
02/10/2025 West Northamptonshire Council is looking to appoint a temporary Drug and Alcohol Commissioner. |
Local government warned over rising GDPR breaches
01/10/2025 Local Government is facing a growing HR and wellbeing challenge as new analysis highlights the scale of GDPR breaches across the sector. |
Wiltshire Council sees annual complaints surge
01/10/2025 Wiltshire Council’s complaints have increased by over 60% since 2021-22, figures have revealed. |
Council moves to strengthen £4bn pension fund
01/10/2025 Dorset Council has appointed Local Pension Partnership Investments (LPPI) as the new pooling partner for the £4bn Dorset County Pension Fund. |
COSLA: Zero tolerance for abuse of council workers taking down flags
26/09/2025 COSLA and trade union partners GMB, UNISON and Unite have united to condemn recent incidents of abuse, intimidation and violence directed at council staff. |
Pension funds urged to engage with pools ahead of law change
26/09/2025 LGPS funds should engage with their pools now ahead of changes from the Pensions Schemes Bill passing into law, consultancy urges. |
Planning recruitment at risk as apprenticeship funding cuts bite
25/09/2025 Thirty-three organisations across planning, housing, nature, and energy are urging the Government to provide £7m to recruit and train apprentice planners. |
Council wardens hailed for bravery in knife incident
25/09/2025 Middlesbrough Council Neighbourhood Safety Wardens have been praised as heroes after confronting a knife-wielding man in the town centre. |
Call for greater inclusivity in social housing sector
23/09/2025 Over 90% of tenants believe their organisation is not doing enough to attract tenants from ethnic minority groups into its influencing structures. |
Council leader resigns after embezzlement charge
23/09/2025 The leader of Perth and Kinross Council has stepped down after being charged with embezzlement. |
Joint chief executive departs two districts
19/09/2025 The chief executive of South Oxfordshire and Vale of White Horse DCs, Mark Stone, has announced he is to stand down. |
EXCLUSIVE SURVEY: 'Women are being failed'
18/09/2025 One in 10 local authority female staff have experienced inappropriate touching by a manager, a landmark sexual harassment survey by Unite has found. |
Ex-Labour councillor charged in ‘honeytrap’ case
18/09/2025 A former Labour councillor has been charged with blackmail and communications offences following a probe into the Westminster ‘honeytrap’ scandal. |
Ministers axe elections holiday compensation
18/09/2025 Ministers have decided the Government will no longer reimburse electoral services staff if a late-notice General Election means they have to cancel holidays. |
Reform council chief announces retirement plans
11/09/2025 Lincolnshire CC's chief executive officer, Debbie Barnes, has announced her plans to retire after 19 years at the authority, including five at the helm. |
LGPS white paper sets path for strategic local investing
11/09/2025 Local government pension funds managing £400bn have backed a new white paper that sets out how the LGPS can scale up local investing to support growth. |
Reform UK council takes flag decisions out of CEO’s hands
10/09/2025 Reform UK-led Warwickshire County Council has removed its chief executive’s flag-flying powers. |
Audit warns of ‘critical governance failings’ at Wrexham Council
09/09/2025 An audit has revealed that Wrexham County Borough Council has made ‘insufficient progress’ in solving ‘critical governance issues’. |
LGR 'making senior recruitment difficult', says Kent's Reform UK leader
08/09/2025 The Reform UK leader of Kent CC has said local government reorganisation (LGR) is ‘disrupting business as usual' and making recruitment ‘very difficult'. |
Glasgow redundancy payouts 'deeply concerning'
04/09/2025 Redundancy payouts totalling £1m made to senior officers at Glasgow have been described as ‘deeply concerning' by a financial watchdog. |
Bin workers in Brum back further strike action
03/09/2025 A vote has seen bin workers in Birmingham ‘overwhelmingly’ agree to extend strike action until spring next year, according to Unite. |
Overstretched schools need clearer roles, says union
02/09/2025 Education staff are carrying disproportionate responsibilities, according to the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL). |
Reform UK plan to overhaul LGPS sparks backlash
01/09/2025 Reforming the Local Government Pension Scheme in England and Wales (LGPS) could save taxpayers around £10bn, Reform UK’s deputy leader has claimed. |
Wrexham bin strike called off after deal reached
28/08/2025 A planned bin strike in Wrexham has been suspended after last-minute talks between Unite and Wrexham County Borough Council. |
Halton BC’s staff express concern about the organisation
27/08/2025 A survey for Halton Borough Council has revealed that 63% of staff are worried about what lies ahead. |
Lives at risk due to fire service cuts, union warns
22/08/2025 Over 2,000 firefighter positions could disappear due to Government cuts, the Fire Brigades Union has warned. |
Glasgow overhauls firm over governance concerns
19/08/2025 Glasgow City Council’s jointly-owned development firm has undergone a leadership overhaul following concerns over its governance. |
Council attempts to bury hatchet with Oasis
18/08/2025 The leader of Edinburgh City Council has reached out to Oasis after the band’s singer Liam Gallagher attacked the local authority for allegedly mocking fans. |
Hefin David: Tributes paid to ‘champion of the people’
13/08/2025 Local government leaders across Wales have paid tribute to Welsh Labour politician Hefin David who died suddenly on Tuesday. |
Council tight-lipped over monitoring officer departure
12/08/2025 Hertfordshire's Three Rivers DC has declined to comment on whether it paid a financial settlement to its departed monitoring officer, Stephen Rix. |
Teenage Reform councillor vows to tackle crime
12/08/2025 Eighteen-year-old Sienna Churcher has become one of the youngest councillors in the UK after winning a by-election for Reform UK. |
