Supporting evidence-based policymaking
Andrew Carter explains how new guidance will help councils decide what services should be prioritised in the wake of swinging cuts.
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. |
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#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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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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. |
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.
