The failure for any political party to secure a majority could cause a period of uncertainty and a lack of direction for local councils, sector experts have warned.
Jonathan Carr-West, chief executive of the LGiU, said the election result will ‘exacerbate some existing uncertainties’ for local government.
‘Questions around funding and social care grow more urgent month by month and have continued to do so over a prolonged period of local and national electioneering,’ he said.
‘These issues pertain directly to vital public services and we trust they will not be forgotten in the negotiations that unfold over the coming days or weeks.
‘At times of national uncertainty we should never forget that local government provides continuity and stability. People will still be cared for, streets will still be swept, children will still be protected. Because whatever happens in national politics, local government carries on.’
Jo Miller, president of chief executive group Solace, also said a new Government should be formed quickly to provide ‘stability and purpose’.
She said Solace would be working with Whitehall to help set out a sustainable local government finance system, publish a White Paper on social care, create a new approach to housing and develop ethical professional practice across the public sector.
