New SIGOMA chair: ‘We need certainty’ on council funding
Mayor Chris Cooke, new chair of the Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities (SIGOMA), talks to LocalGov about collaborative governance and funding.
Oldham Labour offers olive branch to break impasse
20/07/2026 Oldham Council's Labour group has offered ‘greater collaboration' with other parties after the authority's third attempt at electing a leader failed. |
Employers defend pay stance
14/07/2026 Employers have denied they are playing parts of the sector off against each other by offering different pay settlements to different groups of council staff. |
Minister in Pride in Place funding threat
13/07/2026 Devolution minister Nesil Caliskan has threatened to pause Pride in Place funding if accountable bodies delay or obstruct decisions on how to spend the cash. |
'Fiscal devolution to be more likely with Burnham as PM'
24/06/2026 Fiscal devolution will ‘likely become more important' with Andy Burnham as Prime Minister, experts have predicted. |
Thames Valley devo deal thrown into doubt
23/06/2026 A deal to create a Thames Valley foundation strategic authority has seemingly collapsed at the 11th hour. |
Cantle: Time to take cohesion much more seriously
16/06/2026 The author of a landmark report into disturbances in English towns in 2001 has said it is ‘time to take cohesion much more seriously'. |
40% of West Surrey revenue budget to be absorbed by servicing debt
11/06/2026 Some 40% of one of the new Surrey unitaries' net revenue budget will be absorbed by servicing debt, it has emerged. |
EXCLUSIVE: Chiefs lobby Government over severance payment threshold
11/06/2026 Council chiefs have been lobbying the Government to relax the requirements around severance payments when they publish guidance on reorganisation staffing. |
MPs scold Home Office over lack of council involvement in asylum
05/06/2026 Local authorities still lack a ‘meaningful say’ in asylum accommodation decisions, a cross-party committee of MPs has warned. |
Rainbow coalitions form as more councils fall under NOC
20/05/2026 Attempts are being made to form rainbow coalitions around the country after more councils ended up in no overall control following the elections. |
EXCLUSIVE: MHCLG working to overhaul Best Value
14/05/2026 The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is working on a review and update of Best Value guidance, The MJ can reveal. |
Bill 'first step' in fiscal devolution era
13/05/2026 The Overnight Visitor Levy Bill is the ‘first step in a new era of fiscal devolution in England', the Government has said. |
All change: Reform UK projected to make huge gains as local elections get underway
07/05/2026 The chairs of three of the sector's major associations could change hands in the aftermath of today's local elections. |
EXCLUSIVE: Sussex chiefs warn Whitehall over reorganisation risks
22/04/2026 Sussex chief executives have warned reorganisation delays create ‘real risks around timescales, capacity and the ability of councils to plan effectively'. |
Greens propose council tax replacement
15/04/2026 The Scottish Greens have proposed replacing the current council tax with a residential property tax that would be more proportional to property values. |
EXCLUSIVE: Two unions reject pay offer
15/04/2026 Trade unions Unison and Unite have both rejected the employers' offer of a 3.3% pay increase. |
EXCLUSIVE: Ministers face legal LGR threat from furious Sussex leaders
10/04/2026 Sussex leaders are to demand ministers fully explain why they have delayed a final reorganisation decision, or they will consider launching a judicial review. |
Calls grow to fast-track reorganisation in Kent
10/04/2026 Ministers have been urged to bring forward their decision on local government reorganisation in Kent ‘without delay'. |
Government accused of 'failing to deliver' on council tax modernisation
09/04/2026 The Government has been accused of ‘failing to deliver’ on plans to modernise and improve the administration of council tax. |
Concerns over Whitehall delay to grooming plea
31/03/2026 Home Affairs Committee chair Dame Karen Bradley has raised concerns over Whitehall delays in demanding councils preserve records related to grooming gangs. |
