Protecting the public realm without shutting it down
As Martyn's Law approaches, this free special report from LocalGov and Hill & Smith sets out how councils can protect public spaces without shutting them down.
Councils call for more regulation amid facial recognition rollout
23/09/2026 Councils across England have called for more regulation as the sector increases its use of controversial facial recognition technology. |
Pressure grows on ministers to publish reorganisation legal advice
15/09/2026 Pressure was this week growing on ministers to publish the legal advice behind their decision to ‘pause' local government reorganisation and announce review. |
Temporary accommodation inquiry launched by NAO
11/09/2026 The National Audit Office (NAO) has launched an inquiry into the resilience of temporary accommodation amid soaring demand. |
EXCLUSIVE: Burnham wish for new settlement with sector
10/09/2026 Prime Minister Andy Burnham has told council leaders he wants to ‘create a new settlement between central and local’. |
EXCLUSIVE: Croydon concerns over transformation
08/09/2026 Croydon LBC's corporate management team and commissioners have privately expressed concerns about the council's transformation pace, focus and outcomes. |
Rayner orders review of local government reorganisation
07/09/2026 The Government has launched a review of its reorganisation programme, withdrawing decisions on four areas and pausing a further sixteen, it has announced. |
Sir James replaced by Lam in shadow Cabinet reshuffle
01/09/2026 Shadow Home Office minister and assistant whip Katie Lam has been appointed shadow housing, communities and local government secretary. |
Legal threat to Burnham asylum plan
17/08/2026 Reform UK and the Conservatives could launch legal challenges to prevent PM Andy Burnham from spreading asylum accommodation more evenly across the country. |
Council tax harmonisation warning
13/08/2026 Local authorities heading towards reorganisation face a lose-lose scenario on how to harmonise varying council tax bills, a finance director has warned. |
EXCLUSIVE: LGA reduces funding gap but £8m deficit looms
11/08/2026 The Local Government Association (LGA) has reduced its funding gap by £16m but still faces a forecasted deficit of about £8m over the next four years, it has emerged. |
EXCLUSIVE: Council denies senior officer suspensions amid chief executive exit row
06/08/2026 Two senior Derby City Council officers are ‘currently out of the office’ after a row over two fact finding exercises into the former chief executive, The MJ understands. |
EXCLUSIVE: Asylum legal downgrade sparks concern
05/08/2026 Migration partnerships have raised concerns about the impact of a Home Office decision to downgrade its legal duty to provide support to asylum seekers. |
Shadow council delays permanent boss appointment
04/08/2026 West Surrey's shadow authority has pushed back its recruitment of a permanent chief executive. |
EXCLUSIVE: Councils suffering from asylum data blackout
31/07/2026 A Government review of asylum accommodation data-sharing arrangements remains ongoing five months after Whitehall officials said they were ‘trying’ to restore council access to information, The MJ has learnt. |
Whitehall devolution resistance 'over for good'
24/07/2026 Whitehall resistance to devolution is ‘over for good', PM Andy Burnham has insisted ahead of his first meeting at the newly-created No 10 North in Manchester. |
EXCLUSIVE: Whitehall exploring adding teeth to standards regime
21/07/2026 Whitehall officials are attempting to add teeth to the standards regime despite the lack of a primary legislation vehicle to bring reform, The MJ understands. |
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. |
