Social media | LocalGov

Not appropriate to remain on X, council says

21/10/2024

Chippenham Town Council has announced it will leave social media platform X amid ‘a significant increase in unfiltered and inappropriate content’.

Council’s £500k social media spend criticised

29/07/2024

Social media campaigns costing almost £500,000 ‘did not represent value for money’, a report from Essex County Council's audit committee has said.

Councillor posed as woman to share explicit images

01/07/2024

A councillor who posed as a woman on Facebook to exchange explicit images with men has been found to have committed gross misconduct.

LocalGov social media announcement

05/12/2023

For all those interested in keeping up to date with the latest local government news, LocalGov.co.uk is now available on Facebook and Instagram.

Council suspends social media comments to stop ‘abuse’ after facility closures

03/10/2023

North Lanarkshire Council has suspended Twitter users’ ability to comment on its posts and said people’s anger over a decision to close 39 facilities ‘does not entitle them to post abuse’.

Council chiefs in Northern Ireland warn of intimidation

17/05/2023

Council leaders in Northern Ireland have raised concerns about the abuse and intimidation of candidates in this year’s local council election campaign.

New North Yorkshire Council bans TikTok

13/04/2023

North Yorkshire Council has banned the use of TikTok on council devices due to digital security concerns.

Transparency – more key than ever in the WhatsApp era

04/11/2021

Elizabeth Denham offers five recommendations to help Freedom of Information staff deal with requests at a time when the use of private correspondence channels is increasing.

Council housing chief resigns after anonymous Twitter account was exposed

18/02/2021

The cabinet member for housing at Southwark Council has resigned after it emerged he was not 'transparent' about a Twitter account he managed.

Coventry's leaders condemn violence in America

08/01/2021

Coventry City Council and its opposition party have distanced themselves from a tweet by an independent councillor, voicing support for Donald Trump.

Taking action over an employee’s social media posts

22/07/2020

Daniel Piddington warns that councils need to tread carefully when staff bring them into disrepute using personal social media accounts.

Council apologises after tweet prompts ‘voter suppression’ accusation

13/12/2019

A Scottish council has apologised for what it described as a ‘lack of clarity’ after it told voters they required ID to vote.

Council chief says on YouTube: 'I'm sorry about bin chaos'

28/11/2018

A council leader has gone online to apologise to residents over chaos caused by a reorganisation of bin collections.

Councillor charged with posting ‘indecent’ messages online

26/09/2018

A councillor has been charged for posting allegedly ‘obscene’ and ‘menacing’ messages on social media.

Councils and the rise of covert profiles

06/09/2018

Mark Whitehead explains why councils are right to use fake Facebook profiles to track down illegal activities.

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.

Council denies street lights cause cancer

10/04/2018

Gateshead Council has been forced to hit back at a conspiracy theory which claims it is carrying out secret Government trials using its street lights.

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.

Former council worker fined for snapchatting personal data

23/02/2018

A former apprentice at Southwark Council has been fined after illegally sharing personal information about schoolchildren and their parents via Snapchat.

Local government guide to social media

02/02/2018

Neil Merrick explains how local authorities can get the most from social media and avoid potential pitfalls.

Hackers use mayor's profile to make racist posts

17/07/2017

The mayor of Leeds has been forced to speak out after suffering a barrage of online abuse when hackers posted racist comments in her name.

Brexit vote marked ‘high point’ of online abuse to MPs, research reveals

23/05/2017

An analysis over three months last year revealed 188,000 abusive tweets were sent to MPs, with Brexit marking a high point for online abuse.

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.

PODCAST: True colours

26/04/2017

In a new podcast, Lord Porter charts his political journey from bolshie school kid to Conservative peer leading the Local Government Association.

Snapchat recruited to help register young Scottish voters

11/04/2017

The Electoral Commission has partnered with Snapchat as part of a campaign to remind voters in Scotland to register for the council elections.

Council puts crying face emojis on council tax bills

15/12/2016

A London Council has shocked residents after it included crying face emojis on an online council tax bill.

Lindsay Lohan turns down Kettering BC’s proposal

25/11/2016

Heated negotiations between Kettering Borough Council and Hollywood star over Christmas plans have broken down, LocalGov is sorry to report.

Grita Ora or Gritney Spears? Council invites new names for its gritting machine

25/11/2016

Oldham Council has been inundated with hilarious suggestions after it invited local children to name its new gritter.

Exeter ranks No. 1 council on social media

21/11/2016

Exeter City Council beats the big metropolitan cities to the top spot of the social media charts.

A day in the life of local government

15/11/2016

Thousands of local authority staff and councillors are taking part in a 24-hour tweetathon today, showcasing the diverse and varied work they do.

Council fights cuts by releasing single

01/08/2016

The Isle of Wight has taken an unusual approach to challenging the Government’s austerity policies: it has released a single.

Conspiracy theorists criticise use of pencils at polling stations

24/06/2016

Voters in in an East Midlands borough were told they could not use their own pen to put a cross on their ballot papers - even though official guidelines say they can.

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.

Council breaks tie with legal firm following inappropriate tweets

14/06/2016

Cambridgeshire County Council has said it will no longer use the services of legal firm Baker Small, following inappropriate tweets it made about SEND tribunals.

Councils issue warning about online ticket fraud

23/05/2016

Music and sports fans are at risk of a huge increase in online ticket fraud, council leaders have warned.

LocalGov is now on Facebook!

11/04/2016

Your favourite source of local government news has recently expanded its social media outreach and can now be found on Facebook.

FOI request reveals rise in council suspensions over social media breaches

26/01/2016

An investigation by the BBC has found there was a 19% rise in council workers being suspended last year for breaking social media rules.

Survey respondents believe social media can save local authorities money

16/12/2015

71% of local authorities believe that social media represents an opportunity to make savings, according to a new report.

Councillors caught watching football during finance debate

09/12/2015

Two Labour councillors have been caught watching a football game during a finance debate at Croydon Council.

Social, collaboration and mobile: The drivers of change

08/12/2015

Duncan Farley examines the trends that are encouraging staff to work in more efficient ways, helping to save money and get more done with less.

Digital content from councils not ‘up to scratch’ claims survey

08/12/2015

People are failing to recommend or share information from their local authority online, a new survey has revealed.

A day in the life of local government

18/11/2015

Councils have thrown themselves into the national #OurDay tweetathon today to spread the word about work done by local authorities.

#Ourday is nearly upon us again

16/11/2015

William Eichler gears up for local government's annual tweetathon.

£5m for grassroots battle against extremism

19/10/2015

The Government is to invest £5m to build a network of grassroots organisations as part of its efforts to tackle extremism.

Are your service users monsters?

08/10/2015

Nicola Millard argues that local authorities must ensure their network infrastructure can flex up and down to meet public demand.

Poll exposes scale of ‘inefficient’ public sector meetings culture

21/09/2015

Almost two-thirds of public sector workers spend time in ‘inefficient and unproductive’ meetings every week, according to a survey.

Don’t Tweet when boozing or grumpy, councillors to be advised

06/07/2015

New advice for councillors set to be launched in a South West borough could urge members not to use Twitter when feeling upset or drinking alcohol.

Dog poo fines down almost 20%, figures reveal

11/06/2015

The number of dog owners fined for failing to pick up their pooch’s poo fell almost a fifth in the last year, research has revealed.

‘Ay up my duck!’ - Dolly Parton gives council exclusive new song

21/05/2015

‘Nine-to-Five’ superstar Dolly Parton has praised Nottingham City Council for its support of child reading, gifting the town hall an exclusive new song to help local fundraising.

Most councils failing to offer core services online finds research

13/05/2015

Only a quarter of councils offer more than half of their core services online, according to new research into the progress of digital transformation.

Galloway accused of breaching election laws

08/05/2015

Leader of Respect, George Galloway, has been accused of breaching election laws over a tweet.

Cameron making most ‘noise’ on Twitter finds study

07/05/2015

David Cameron has been the most talked about party leader on social media over the past 90 days, although he also had the most negative tweets about him, according to new research.

Paws to vote! Councils use kittens and dancing robots in election drive

07/05/2015

Councils are deploying kittens, historic bridges and dancing automatons as part of a social media drive to get the UK voting.

Council defends 'ludicrous' yellow lines less than a metre long

06/05/2015

A council has come under fire after painting a set of double yellow lines measuring less than a metre long on a residential street.

LGA launches social media learning hub for councils

28/04/2015

A new social media hub has been launched to help local government get to grips with Twitter and online communication.

‘People power’ could cut cost of public service says report

24/04/2015

Councils have been urged to develop initiatives that encourage a more active contribution from the public, as a new report hails the benefits of public engagement.

Watch: Unison makes council song out of Kylie hit

17/04/2015

A union member has re-written Kylie Minogue’s smash hit ‘Do the Loco-Motion’ as a protest song against council outsourcing.

Council requests parking payment in cheese

01/04/2015

Scarborough Borough Council has been left red-faced after accidently asking residents to pay for their parking permits with cheese rather than a cheque.

Joining the dots of local democracy

31/03/2015

Paul O'Brien reflects on research among councillors, which shows that non-executive members provide a vital connection between residents and front-line services but feel marginalised from decision-making.

Council defends video of man defecating in the street

23/03/2015

A council has defended a controversial video showing a man going to the toilet in the street, released as part of anti-dog fouling campaign.

Watch: Game of Thrones spoof shames ‘unfair’ council funding

16/03/2015

Councils are warning that ‘winter is coming’ for budget cuts in a new Game of Thrones parody unveiled by England’s cities.

Sexual job advert gaffe leaves council red-faced

05/03/2015

An online blunder has seen Tavistock Town Council advertising for a ‘general hand job vacancy’, prompting sniggering on social media.

Young people urged to vote via Facebook campaign

02/03/2015

A Facebook campaign encouraging 18 year olds to register to vote has been launched by the Electoral Commission.

New social media network goes live

15/01/2015

Local authorities are being urged to join a new social media network, in a bid to be more transparent.

Councillor quits role after ‘vile’ comment about alleged rape victim

06/01/2015

A councillor has quit as leader of a Liberal Democrat group after suggesting an alleged rape victim was too ugly to have been assaulted.

Opposition grows against pay-off for Derry chief executive

05/01/2015

More than 3,500 people have backed a social media campaign opposing the reported £275,000 ‘golden handshake’ for Derry City Council’s out-going chief executive.

Pickles is Scrooged

17/12/2014

Communities secretary Eric Pickles would choose to play Scrooge, the protagonist of Charles Dickens’ legendary short story ‘A Christmas Carol’ in pantomime, it has emerged.

Councillors suspended for burning devolution plan

04/12/2014

Four councillors involved in a filmed burning of a copy of the Smith Commission report have been suspended from the Scottish National Party (SNP).

Councils seeing financial benefit of social media finds report

04/12/2014

Two-thirds of councils are now using social media, with 77% saying it can lead to savings if used correctly, according to a new report.

The return of #AskPickles

02/12/2014

MPs have called on the public to send in questions for communities secretary Eric Pickles on subjects including devolution, housing and council budgets.

A day in the life of local government

26/11/2014

Councillors and council staff are set to take part in a 24-hour social media marathon today, showcasing their daily experiences in local government.

Council gets fingers burnt over Alex Salmond bonfire effigy tweet

06/11/2014

A council has been forced to distance itself from two bonfire effigies of Alex Salmond, which are now under investigation by police.

Schoolgirl sexual abuse letter causes ‘undue’ alarm in Havering

29/09/2014

Havering Council has admitted warnings that young girls are being sexually exploited are ‘nowhere near as significant as first feared’, after a letter was accidently sent to parents.

Study names rudest region in UK on Twitter

10/09/2014

Research suggests residents in a North Yorkshire seaside resort are the most likely to swear on Twitter in the UK.

Council apologises after sending rude tweet during TV debate

27/08/2014

A Scottish council has been forced to apologise after sending an offensive tweet to Alistair Darling during Monday’s referendum debate.

Council’s ‘dog poo’ poster goes viral

21/08/2014

A council’s shock campaign to tackle dog fouling has caused outrage on social media after a poster showed a toddler ‘eating’ poo.

Council forecasts £18m savings demand

18/08/2014

Government cuts could force Flintshire County Council to find £18m of savings next year, with social services, education and waste collections all under scrutiny.

'Penis' map 'could pay off'

15/08/2014

A charity that produced a tourism map in a shape resembling a penis believes the mistake would have paid off if it attracts more visitors.

Council laughs off this hilarious headline error

14/08/2014

Aberdeen City Council has been left red-faced after a headline blunder on its in-house magazine won international notoriety.

Pickles opens public meetings to filming

06/08/2014

A new law allowing the public to film, record and tweet from council meetings will support 'healthy local democracy', according to communities secretary Eric Pickles.

Council refuses to reinstate firefighter sacked for tweet

04/08/2014

A council has refused to reinstate a firefighter of 25 years’ service who was sacked for tweeting about strike action.

Disciplinary action launched after 'hired killers' tweet

02/07/2014

Disciplinary action has been launched by the Green Party against a councillor who called armed forces personnel ‘hired killers’ on Twitter.

Housing associations failing to understand existing technology, finds survey

12/06/2014

Less than 20% of housing associations across the UK have a full understanding of their existing technology according to a new survey.

Deputy leader suspended from party over bogus text spree

30/05/2014

The deputy leader of Stoke on Trent City Council has been suspended from the Labour Party after sending messages to a local radio station under false identities.

Elections will be 'won or lost' via social media, says youth charity

07/05/2014

Party leaders should deliver their top five election promises on twitter in order to secure the youth vote, according to a new study.

Who controls social media?

24/04/2014

Should councils be more aware of the risks associated with using social media?

Councils call for crackdown on NekNomination

24/02/2014

An ‘utterly reckless and totally irresponsible’ killer craze should be cracked down on by social media giants Twitter and Facebook, councils have urged.

Isle of Wight to hold live Facebook session on budget decisions

13/02/2014

The Isle of Wight Council is to host a live Q&A session on Facebook to allows residents to question members on the council’s budget.

Councils' IT systems hindering support for online abuse victims

03/02/2014

The fast pace of technological advances has left local authorities ‘playing catch-up’ in their attempts to crack down on child sexual abuse, experts have warned.

Dudley Council holds public meetings on Facebook

30/01/2014

Dudley Council has become the first in the country to hold public meetings on Facebook, with thousands of people viewing the discussions online.

Pickles: I bash local government because I love it

23/01/2014

Communities secretary Eric Pickles has insisted he ‘bashes’ local government because he loves the sector.

Pickles fails to escape Twitter grilling

06/01/2014

Communities secretary Eric Pickles will not escape a public grilling from Twitter users after a session cancelled last year was rearranged for later this month.

Prediction 2014 will be year of ‘virtual authority’

11/12/2013

Next year will be the time of the ‘virtual authority’ with digital tools becoming the primary method of interacting with councils, new research is predicting.

Brent to answer tweets during council meeting

09/10/2013

Brent council will integrate Twitter with live streaming of council meetings, as part of Local Democracy Week 2013.

Study social media to improve local services, A4UE advises

18/09/2013

Local authorities and Whitehall departments should analyse social media to develop policies and be more responsive in delivering public services, a top research network has advised.

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