Local elections | LocalGov


Local elections in the shadow of reorganisation 28/04/2025 Dr Jonathan Carr-West of the LGIU discusses the meaning of the local elections against the backdrop of local government reorganisation (LGR).
Majority of public ‘not following’ reorganisation 23/04/2025 Nearly two-thirds of the public are not engaged with local government reorganisation, a new poll commissioned ahead of the local elections has revealed.
Council rejects Farage bankruptcy claim 14/04/2025 Lancashire County Council has hit back at claims by Nigel Farage that it is on the brink of bankruptcy.
Sir Keir: We need to review voter ID rules 19/06/2024 Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has suggested his party would review the policy of mandatory voter ID if elected to govern.
General Election brings raft of reforms 23/05/2024 Elections officers face a raft of reforms to implement as voters nationwide prepare to go to the polls in July.
Dudley councillors strike ‘unifying’ deal 16/05/2024 Political groups on Dudley Council have struck a deal which will see the Conservatives maintain control of the local authority.
Government relents over broadening forms of voter ID 07/05/2024 Complaints were raised by ex-servicemen who were turned away at polling stations after attempting to produce veteran cards as proof of ID.
Over 40 pro-Palestinian candidates elected 07/05/2024 Dozens of candidates who ran in last week’s local elections on a pro-Palestinian platform have been elected, according to a new analysis.
Labour win Yorkshire mayoralty in PM’s ‘backyard’ 03/05/2024 Labour’s David Skaith has won the race to become the first York and North Yorkshire mayor.
Houchen retains Tees Valley for Tories 03/05/2024 Ben Houchen has won the Tees Valley mayoral election despite his vote share taking a dramatic hit.
Boris Johnson turned away from polling station 03/05/2024 Former Conservative Prime Minister Boris Johnson was turned away from his local polling station yesterday after forgetting to bring valid ID.
Local Elections: Labour celebrates local gains 03/05/2024 Labour has gained 119 councillors and 288 Conservative members have lost their seats with more than two-thirds of councils declared.
Cambridge council deploys polling boot 02/05/2024 Cambridge residents were confronted with the unexpected site of a car marked ‘polling station’ when they went out to vote this morning.
What is a metro mayor? 25/04/2024 A metro mayor is directly elected by local people to oversee a region’s combined authority.
LocalGov elections: Being vigilant ahead of the local elections 24/04/2024 Ahead of the local elections next month, Owen Prendeville, Information Commissioner’s Office (ICO), offers tips for protecting against cyber attacks.
Poll reveals low levels of trust in councillors 23/04/2024 Just over 40% of people in England trust their local councillors to work in the best interests of people in local areas, a new survey has revealed.
LocalGov Elections: Ones to watch in May 10/04/2024 Dr Greg Stride, Senior Researcher, Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) provides a primer for the upcoming local elections.
Voter ID legal challenge launched 19/02/2024 A legal challenge has been mounted against the Government over voter ID requirements for elections.
Alarm sounded on cyber threat to local elections 21/12/2023 Ministers have written to councils to warn of attempted foreign interference in next year’s elections.
Minister shrugs off election concerns 06/12/2023 Fears that pressures on elections officials will leave them overwhelmed at the next election have been dismissed by local government minister Simon Hoare.
Plea to delay online postal vote applications 09/10/2023 Launching online applications for postal and proxy votes later this month should be ‘urgently reconsidered,’ elections officers have said.
Sinn Fein becomes largest party of Northern Ireland local government 22/05/2023 Sinn Fein has become the largest party in Northern Ireland local government for the first time after securing 144 seats in the latest polls.
Northern Ireland branded 'inert' as councils go to polls 18/05/2023 With Northern Ireland's local elections today the region has been branded ‘uncompetitive’ and in need of localised public services due to Stormont stalemate.
One in 100 turned away due to voter ID 16/05/2023 One in 100 were unable to vote up after turning up at polling stations without valid ID, election observers have estimated.
Big losses for Conservative councils 09/05/2023 The Conservatives have lost seats in the North, South and Midlands, with Labour and the Lib Dems scooping up victories.
Results point to big losses for Conservative councils 05/05/2023 Early results from the local elections point to big losses for the Conservatives, with Labour and the Liberal Democrats scooping up victories.
MPs raise concerns about accuracy of voter turnout data 27/04/2023 MPs have appealed for full information to be collected on the number of people turned away from local elections because they do not have the right ID.
Tories expect to lose 1,000 seats 17/04/2023 The Conservatives are braced to lose 1,000 council seats in next month’s local elections.
Council chiefs call for voter ID laws to be delayed 12/12/2022 Local authority leaders have called on the Government to delay the introduction of voter ID requirements until after the local elections in May.
Concern over elections timetable 07/11/2022 Campaigners and elections staff have raised concerns over the deliverability of voter ID at next year’s elections.
Scottish survey reveals strong commitment to local elections 01/11/2022 The vast majority of Scots believe it is important to vote in local council elections, a survey of social attitudes in Scotland has revealed.
Workload warning over voting pilots 11/10/2022 Proposals to introduce automatic voter registration in Wales could cause confusion and add to already heavy workloads, election officers have warned.
Conservatives lose nearly 500 seats in local elections 09/05/2022 The results are in for all 200 councils up for election, with the Conservatives losing 11 local authorities.
Conservatives hit hard in London as poll results roll in 06/05/2022 Labour has taken control of Westminster, Wandsworth and Barnet LBCs, in an election night that has hit the Conservatives hard.
Local elections could see Conservatives lose 500 seats 03/05/2022 The Conservatives look set to lose over 500 seats in the upcoming local elections, according to a recent poll.
Winner-takes-all system ‘splits’ progressive vote 03/05/2022 The progressive vote will be systematically ‘split’ in next week’s council elections because of the winner-takes-all electoral system, campaigners say.
Council chiefs warn of ‘increasing number’ of threats against councillors 03/05/2022 Council leaders have called for more action to be taken to ensure that councillors and candidates in local elections are not subjected to threats and abuse.
Gender equality campaigners in Wales warn of ‘glacial’ progress 25/04/2022 Councils have been urged to increase the number of women in local politics as campaigners warn Welsh local democracy won’t see gender equality until 2050.
Nearly 40% of electorate prioritising affordable housing in local elections 21/04/2022 Four in 10 Britons say affordable decent housing needs to be improved ahead of the local elections, a new poll reveals.
Council tax top priority in local elections 12/04/2022 The level of council tax is the top local election priority for Londoners, a recent survey has revealed.
Council chiefs warn of ‘public intimidation’ ahead of polls 22/03/2022 Local authority leaders have urged residents to engage in ‘positive, constructive debates’ during the build up to the local elections in May.
Councillors complain of lack of powers 07/03/2022 More than two out of three (68%) councillors in England feel they lack sufficient powers to represent the needs of their communities, a survey today by the Electoral Reform Society campaign group has found.
Nearly half of Scots back directly elected provosts 19/01/2022 A new poll has revealed strong support for directly elected provosts across Scotland.
Powers warning ahead of new deals 07/12/2021 A new report today warns areas reluctant to accept directly-elected leaders in the next wave of devolution deals may be offered ‘fewer powers and flexibilities’.
Johnson: Bring your devolution plans to me 15/07/2021 Prime Minister Boris Johnson called for local leaders to take their devolution plans to him in a keynote speech from the West Midlands this morning.
Mayoral votes to use ‘outdated’ system 16/03/2021 The Government plans to switch to the first-past-the-post system to elect mayors.
Employers branded a 'disgrace' over council pay delay 26/02/2021 Council employers have been branded a ‘disgrace’ after they said they would not respond to a union pay claim until after the May 6 elections.
May elections to go ahead as council chiefs call for indemnity 21/01/2021 Local elections will go ahead on 6 May despite the ongoing pandemic, Prime Minister Boris Johnson has ruled.
Call for ‘urgent clarity’ on elections 06/01/2021 Speculation over whether local elections will take place in May as scheduled has been labelled ‘unhelpful’ by councils.
Proportional votes to come to Wales 19/11/2020 Proportional voting will be introduced to Welsh council elections for the first time as the franchise is extended to 16- and 17-year olds and foreigners.
Mayor anticipates Covid-19 election disruption 20/07/2020 London mayor Sadiq Khan has urged voters in the capital to register for postal ballots ahead of next year’s elections to avoid disruption from the COVID-19 crisis.
EXCLUSIVE: 'Make local elections a "mini-referendum" on fair funding' 16/06/2020 The main parties at the Local Government Association could turn next year’s local elections into a ‘mini referendum on fair funding for all councils’, according to the director of the Political Skills Forum.
Government postpones council elections 13/03/2020 Local government elections due to take place on 7 May have been postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.
Queen's Speech 19: Voter ID requirement at elections to be rolled out 14/10/2019 The Queen’s Speech has set out the Government’s plans to require voters to show photographic ID at polling stations.
Voter ID plans slammed as 'undemocratic' 30/04/2019 Mandatory voter ID requirements will seriously damage democracy, the Electoral Reform Society has warned again ahead of the local elections this week.
Chief executive suspended after elections review 27/11/2017 Newcastle-under-Lyme BC has suspended its chief executive and monitoring officer after an independent review into problems faced by voters at the General Election.