How Local Authorities Can Lead Smarter, More Inclusive Procurement
The 2025 Local Government Procurement Report ranks councils on SME, VCSE, and local spend, with strategies to boost social value in procurement.
CQC: Stronger leadership needed to improve Blackpool's inadequate adult social care
11/08/2025 The Care Quality Commission has rated Blackpool Council's adult social care inadequate, warning that ‘stronger leadership' will be needed for it to improve. |
Watchdog urges councils to improve staff support
07/08/2025 Councils in Scotland have been urged by the Accounts Commission to improve staff support amid a raft of challenges impacting their wellbeing. |
Rutland leader survives no confidence vote amid reorganisation row
06/08/2025 The leader of Rutland CC has survived a no confidence vote amid concerns over the local authority's stance on reorganisation under her leadership. |
Home Office recommits to closing asylum hotels
31/07/2025 The Government has insisted it ‘remains committed' to ending the use of hotels for asylum accommodation after growing public anger. |
Sunderland invests over £700,000 to support people with learning disabilities
25/07/2025 Sunderland City Council is to allocate £724,000 to help people with learning difficulties or autism carry out adaptions to their homes when they are discharged from hospital. |
Ombudsman raises concerns over councils’ handling of complaints involving children
25/07/2025 Concerns have been raised by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman over the way councils handle complaints of cases involving children. |
Epping Forest councillors urge Government to close asylum hotel
25/07/2025 Councillors in Epping Forest have voted unanimously to call on the Government to ‘immediately and permanently’ close a hotel to asylum seekers after a series of violent protests at the site. |
Councils could approve driverless taxi pilots from next spring
22/07/2025 The Department for Transport (DoT) has launched a consultation around plans to allow local authorities and mayors to approve self-driving taxi service pilots in their area from next spring. |
Reform candidate takes legal action after losing dead heat election
22/07/2025 Reform UK candidate Liz Williams has filed a petition to the High Court claiming her loss in May's dead heat election in Worcestershire County Council’s Littletons division was fraudulent. |
West Midlands Mayor reveals economic growth plan
22/07/2025 West Midlands Mayor Richard Parker has unveiled plans to create tens of thousands of new jobs and homes, which he hopes will ‘turbocharge’ the region’s economy over the next decade. |
Yusuf rules out council tax cuts at Reform-led local authorities
21/07/2025 The head of Reform UK’s Doge unit Zia Yusuf has said local authorities the party controls will not be able to reduce council tax, contradicting earlier claims of potential cuts by its local leaders. |
York’s economy receives £2bn boost from tourism
21/07/2025 Tourism contributed £2.01bn to York’s economy last year, latest figures have revealed. |
Councils to be handed powers to inspect rented homes without notice
21/07/2025 Councils are set to be given powers to inspect rented homes without providing notice to landlords |
Union ballots Wrexham bin workers on strike action
21/07/2025 Refuse workers in Wrexham are being balloted on strike action, with their union Unite claiming changes in working patterns by the town’s council will see them lose half a day’s pay. |
COSLA makes two-year pay offer
16/06/2025 The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) has offered a 4% pay rise for 2025-26 and an increase of 3.5% the year after. |
Reform councils try to get ahead of DOGE reviews
12/06/2025 Two Reform-led councils have started DOGE-style efficiency reviews ahead of a visit from the party's national team tasked with scrutinising finances. |
EXCLUSIVE: Ministry admits disabled grant delay
05/06/2025 Councils will not receive their 2025-26 Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) funding until late June, admits Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government. |
Scottish councils keen to explore further devolution
29/05/2025 Scottish councils are keen to explore ‘enhanced' devolution but have expressed reservations about following the English model of regional mayors. |
Council could slash one in 10 jobs
23/05/2025 More than one in ten jobs could be lost at Croydon LBC as it looks to tackle its £1.4bn debt. |
'More to do' on diversity in DCS roles
23/05/2025 Diversity among children’s services chiefs has improved over the last year, but ‘there is still more to do’ to make the role ‘visibly inclusive’, the Association of Directors of Children Services (ADCS) has said. |
