Women bear full force of rise in abuse by councillors
Brum council recovers £5m through tenancy fraud crackdown
EXCLUSIVE: Whitehall exploring adding teeth to standards regime
Council worker sentenced for unlawfully accessing personal records
Digital Transformation, AI and Local Government: The Case for Workforce Upskilling
The new LocalGov and Multiverse report explores how workforce upskilling is driving smarter, more efficient, and inclusive local government transformation.
Council audit flags ‘unusual’ surge in staff mileage spending post-Covid
21/07/2026 An internal audit of Oldham Council has revealed a sharp and unexplained rise in staff mileage expenses since the pandemic. |
LGR opportunity to rebuild trust as complaints surge, Ombudsman says
15/07/2026 Local government reorganisation (LGR) and devolution represent a ‘once-in-a-generation’ opportunity to rebuild trust in councils, Ombudsman says. |
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. |
Welsh council chiefs welcome teacher pay consultation plan
14/07/2026 Local authority chiefs have welcomed an announcement that the Welsh Government intends to consult on a 3.5% pay award for teachers and school leaders. |
Fraudster jailed after trying to claim Grenfell support
13/07/2026 A man who used a stolen identity to access a flat near Grenfell Tower before attempting to claim funds meant for fire victims has been jailed, a court heard. |
Staffordshire CC reveals proposals for stricter councillor dress code
10/07/2026 Staffordshire County Council has proposed a new dress code for councillors when attending civic or public events. |
Newcastle council culture improving but 'trust issues' remain, report finds
09/07/2026 The organisational culture at Newcastle City Council has improved but ‘significant behavioural and trust issues’ still remain, according to an LGA Peer report. |
200,000 council and school staff begin voting on pay strikes
09/07/2026 Around 200,000 council and school staff across England and Wales began voting today on whether to take strike action over pay, UNISON has announced. |
Over half of council workers say they do not have enough staff
07/07/2026 Council employees are under sustained pressure, with more than a quarter (26%) reporting mental exhaustion by day's end, according to CSG research. |
Union calls for fully-funded teacher pay offer
02/07/2026 A union has criticised the Government’s latest pay offer for teachers, which proposes a partially funded settlement. |
Leeds CC still faces equal pay claims 'worth hundreds of millions'
29/06/2026 Leeds CC is still facing equal pay claims worth hundreds of millions of pounds, with more than 4,000 women having taken action against the council, GMB says. |
Reform council leader defends sharing confidential IT contract details
25/06/2026 The leader of Lincolnshire CC has defended sharing confidential information about a multimillion-pound IT contract with former Reform UK chairman Zia Yusuf. |
Council chiefs sound alarm over 'deteriorating' behaviour
25/06/2026 Poor behaviour in local government is worsening, with 92% of chief executives and senior officers saying they have experienced it in the past three years. |
Social care vacancy rate falls to decade low but challenges ahead
24/06/2026 Adult social care vacancies have fallen to a decade low, according to Skills for Care. |
Mayor pays tribute to train driver killed in Bedford collision
22/06/2026 The Mayor of Cambridgeshire and Peterborough has paid tribute to train driver Shaun Burton, who died in Friday's train collision near Bedford. |
EXCLUSIVE: Officers warn of looming elections systems failure
18/06/2026 The elections system is under ‘increasing strain' and ‘likely to fail' if put under further pressure, officers have warned. |
Cowan to chair London Councils
17/06/2026 London Councils has confirmed Hammersmith and Fulham LBC leader Stephen Cowan as its new chair as well as announcing the group's executive committee. |
Three in four council workers 'one bill away from crisis'
16/06/2026 A survey of local government employees has found that 72% are financially vulnerable, meaning a single unexpected cost could tip them into crisis. |
Planning staff shortages threaten 1.5 million homes target, warns union
15/06/2026 One in 10 council planning posts in England are vacant, putting the Government's housebuilding ambitions at serious risk, according to new research by UNISON. |
Council enforcement officers sacked after threatening resident
15/06/2026 Two enforcement officers have been dismissed after footage emerged of them threatening to assault a member of the public while working for a London council. |
Union issues strike threat over 3.3% local government pay offer
15/06/2026 Hundreds of thousands of council and school workers could walk out on strike after their union vowed to ballot members over what it called an unacceptable pay offer. |
Bonus scheme launched to drive nursery staff recruitment
12/06/2026 Deprived communities are to benefit from a higher number of qualified nursery teachers following the introduction of a £4.5k boost for graduates. |
Union calls for body cams for refuse workers and street cleaners
10/06/2026 Refuse workers and street cleaners should be equipped with body cameras to protect them from escalating verbal and physical attacks, GMB has demanded. |
Somerset housing workers lobby council over outsourcing fears
28/05/2026 Housing maintenance workers at Somerset Council are lobbying councillors over plans to transfer staff to a building services contractor. |
LGPS: Council pension costs fall by a fifth
27/05/2026 Local government employers are set to benefit from significantly lower pension costs following a sharp improvement in the financial health of the LGPS. |
GMB branch secretaries to go on strike against own union
27/05/2026 GMB branch secretaries are to stage two days of strike action against their trade union over their ‘two tier' employment status. |
Derby council defends ceremonial use of Dr Dre track
26/05/2026 Derby CC has defended the use of Dr Dre's 1999 hit ‘Still D.R.E.’ at its Mayor Making ceremony, after a councillor branded the choice 'highly inappropriate.' |
Cotswold councillor who became UK's youngest mayor resigns
26/05/2026 A Liberal Democrat councillor who was once one of the youngest elected politicians in England has resigned after 15 years in local government. |
Minister says chief candidates must have 'critical skillset'
26/05/2026 Ministers have urged Surrey's shadow unitary authorities to prioritise permanent recruitment of heads of paid service due to Woking's ‘financial challenges'. |
Historic first as gay couple take Leeds's top civic roles
26/05/2026 Cllr Stephen Holroyd has been confirmed as Lord Mayor of Leeds, becoming part of the first openly gay couple to hold the offices of Lord Mayor and Consort. |
Five arrested over alleged fake candidate plot in Tameside
22/05/2026 Five people have been arrested on suspicion of conspiracy to defraud following allegations of electoral fraud in last month's local elections in Tameside. |
Devon County Council calls for volunteers to fill in potholes
22/05/2026 Devon County Council is calling for more volunteers to join its community road warden scheme as it marks a decade since the initiative was rolled out. |
Tribunal rules home working refusal may be disability discrimination
22/05/2026 An employment tribunal has found that refusing home working arrangements to an employee with agoraphobia can amount to disability discrimination. |
Housing sector urged to act on equality and diversity gap
21/05/2026 Housing organisations across England are being called on to take more targeted action on equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI). |
Reform UK council hit by trebling of councillor conduct complaints
18/05/2026 Peers have raised concerns about the impact of increasing reports of negative member behaviour on staff morale and retention at a Reform UK-led council. |
CCN launches new business plan following local elections
14/05/2026 The CCN has launched a new business plan, pledging to do more for member councils as new administrations take shape following last week's local elections. |
Reform urged to expel a dozen new councillors over extremist views
13/05/2026 Campaigners have called on Reform UK to kick out 12 newly elected councillors for racism – including antisemitism and Islamophobia – and praising the Nazis. |
Printing fault sees council distribute ballots by hand
07/05/2026 Cardiff Council has been required to deliver voting packs by hand following a printing error that resulted in nearly 1,400 ballots not reaching applicants. |
West Midlands Mayor threatened while canvassing in Coventry
07/05/2026 The Mayor of the West Midlands has described being threatened and followed by a member of the public while out canvassing in Coventry. |
Councillor found in breach of code of conduct over disrespectful comments
07/05/2026 A Leicester CC standards panel has found a Green councillor in breach of the council's code of conduct for disrespectful comments. |
Former council leader Dame Shirley Porter dies aged 95
06/05/2026 Former leader of Westminster City Council Dame Shirley Porter has died at the age of 95. |
Mayor steps into chief executive row with Reform UK councillors
06/05/2026 Doncaster's Labour mayor has stepped into the row between chief executive Damian Allen and Reform UK councillors by backing her chief executive officer. |
LGA fails to restore collective bargaining for coroner pay
05/05/2026 The Local Government Association (LGA) has been unable to reestablish collective bargaining to agree pay for coroners. |
Council staff face abuse over flag removal policy
05/05/2026 A council is reporting a surge in abuse, harassment and intimidation directed at staff linked to the removal of unauthorised flags from street furniture. |
Bodycams rolled out to support safety of Staffordshire road workers
01/05/2026 Staffordshire County Council’s highways crews have been equipped with bodycams to help protect them from threatening behaviour. |
EXCLUSIVE: 'Illegal' deal to end Birmingham strike risks £200m equal pay bill
30/04/2026 Birmingham City Council could open itself up to equal pay liabilities worth £200m if a proposed deal unveiled by leader Cllr John Cotton goes ahead. |
Reform council refuses to name recipient of £455k exit pay-out
28/04/2026 Reform UK-led Staffordshire CC has remained tight-lipped over reason for a £457,000 pay off made under the previous Conservative administration to an officer. |
Doncaster chief exec threatens legal action over Reform UK motion
28/04/2026 City of Doncaster Council chief executive Damian Allen has threatened legal action against the leader and deputy leader of the council's Reform UK group. |
'End in sight' for Birmingham strike
27/04/2026 After more than a year of industrial action, Birmingham CC's leader John Cotton has tabled an offer he believes will ‘end the strike once and for all'. |
PPMA 2026: Call to rethink statutory roles
27/04/2026 Local government should redefine the role of statutory officers, amid suggestions the role of HR director could be made statutory. |
