Social Care Crisis: What local government needs to know
Councils are £715m over budget and PM Andy Burnham says social care reform is essential to stop the NHS collapsing — here's what it means for local government.
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. |
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'. |
