Reform council chief announces retirement plans
LGPS white paper sets path for strategic local investing
Audit warns of ‘critical governance failings’ at Wrexham Council
LGR 'making senior recruitment difficult', says Kent's Reform UK leader
UNISON: To whoever forms the next government…
Christina McAnea, general secretary of UNISON, tells LocalGov.co.uk what the sector’s biggest union hopes to see from the next government.
Glasgow redundancy payouts 'deeply concerning'
04/09/2025 Redundancy payouts totalling £1m made to senior officers at Glasgow have been described as ‘deeply concerning' by a financial watchdog. |
Bin workers in Brum back further strike action
03/09/2025 A vote has seen bin workers in Birmingham ‘overwhelmingly’ agree to extend strike action until spring next year, according to Unite. |
Overstretched schools need clearer roles, says union
02/09/2025 Education staff are carrying disproportionate responsibilities, according to the Association of School and College Leaders (ASCL). |
Reform UK plan to overhaul LGPS sparks backlash
01/09/2025 Reforming the Local Government Pension Scheme in England and Wales (LGPS) could save taxpayers around £10bn, Reform UK’s deputy leader has claimed. |
Wrexham bin strike called off after deal reached
28/08/2025 A planned bin strike in Wrexham has been suspended after last-minute talks between Unite and Wrexham County Borough Council. |
Halton BC’s staff express concern about the organisation
27/08/2025 A survey for Halton Borough Council has revealed that 63% of staff are worried about what lies ahead. |
Lives at risk due to fire service cuts, union warns
22/08/2025 Over 2,000 firefighter positions could disappear due to Government cuts, the Fire Brigades Union has warned. |
Glasgow overhauls firm over governance concerns
19/08/2025 Glasgow City Council’s jointly-owned development firm has undergone a leadership overhaul following concerns over its governance. |
Council attempts to bury hatchet with Oasis
18/08/2025 The leader of Edinburgh City Council has reached out to Oasis after the band’s singer Liam Gallagher attacked the local authority for allegedly mocking fans. |
Hefin David: Tributes paid to ‘champion of the people’
13/08/2025 Local government leaders across Wales have paid tribute to Welsh Labour politician Hefin David who died suddenly on Tuesday. |
Council tight-lipped over monitoring officer departure
12/08/2025 Hertfordshire's Three Rivers DC has declined to comment on whether it paid a financial settlement to its departed monitoring officer, Stephen Rix. |
Teenage Reform councillor vows to tackle crime
12/08/2025 Eighteen-year-old Sienna Churcher has become one of the youngest councillors in the UK after winning a by-election for Reform UK. |
Council staff discouraged from using ‘mum’ and ‘dad’
11/08/2025 Merton Council is trying to discourage its staff from referring to parents as ‘mum’ and ‘dad’ in a push to encourage more inclusive language. |
Cheshire East backs safety protocol to protect councillors against abuse
07/08/2025 Cheshire East Council has voted in favour of implementing anti-abuse, intimidation and harassment measures following a councillor survey. |
EXCLUSIVE: Director suspended by county amid reorganisation vacuum
30/07/2025 A director remains out of the office on full pay almost three months on from being suspended, The MJ understands. |
Lambeth to slash senior management to help plug £84m funding gap
29/07/2025 Lambeth LBC has voted for a series of cost cutting measures including slashing senior management to plug a £84m funding gap identified through to 2029-30. |
Council officers sacked after ‘illegal activity’ uncovered
29/07/2025 Dorset Council fired 11 council officers due to concerns over a lack of compliance with financial controls and rising budget overspends, report has revealed. |
Employers and unions agree pay deal
24/07/2025 Local government employers and the Unison and GMB trade unions have agreed a pay deal for the sector. |
BCP Council announces new pay structure
24/07/2025 Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council has approved proposals for a new ‘fair and transparent’ staff pay structure. |
Peers pass fire and hire exemption
23/07/2025 Councils with financial problems that are placed under government intervention may be exempt from a ban on sacking and then rehiring employees. |
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. |
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. |
Soton council reaches equal pay settlement
18/07/2025 Hundreds of low-paid staff at Southampton City Council, most of them women, are set to benefit from an equal pay settlement, according to public sector unions. |
South Cambs permanently adopts four-day week
18/07/2025 South Cambridgeshire District Council has voted to become the first council in the UK to permanently adopt a four-day week. |
Employers double down on pay offer
16/07/2025 Council employers have unanimously reaffirmed their April offer of a 3.2% pay increase as ‘full and final' despite unions urging them to better their proposal. |
Unitary achieves pay harmony six years after reorganisation
16/07/2025 A deal to harmonise legacy pay and terms for Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole (BCP) Council workers is finally expected to be signed. |
Council employee prosecuted for fraud
15/07/2025 An employee who was simultaneously employed by two local authorities and a third organisation has been found guilty of fraud after earning over £230,000. |
Unions back Scottish local government pay offer
11/07/2025 Local authority leaders in Scotland have welcomed the decision by Unite and GMB members to accept the latest two-year pay offer. |
Job loses loom as Birmingham bin dispute talks collapse
10/07/2025 Attempts to resolve the long-running waste service dispute between Birmingham City Council and Unite have collapsed with job loses the likely result. |
Councils under intervention could be exempted from fire and rehire ban
09/07/2025 Councils under intervention could be exempt from a legal ban on so-called fire and rehire practices after the latest amendment to the Employment Rights Bill. |
Unite calls for investigation into Brum commissioners
09/07/2025 Unite has called for an investigation into whether Birmingham’s Government-appointed commissioners have a financial interest in keeping the bin strikes going. |
Union members accept two-year pay offer
08/07/2025 Local government staff in Scotland have voted to accept a two-year pay offer. |
Unions call for ‘better and fairer’ pay offer
04/07/2025 Trade unions representing council staff across the country have called on local government employers to improve on the 3.2% pay offer. |
Four-day week trial success, says council
04/07/2025 A report into South Cambridgeshire District Council’s four-day week trial has found most of the monitored services either improved or were maintained. |
GMB members vote against 3.2% pay offer
01/07/2025 Members of the trade union GMB have voted to reject a 3.2% local government pay offer. |
Unite set to take Brum bin dispute to Liverpool
30/06/2025 Unite members are set to protest Birmingham City Council’s leader at this year’s LGA conference as part of the ongoing bin strikes, says the trade union. |
EXCLUSIVE: Government turns to councils for extra building inspector capacity
30/06/2025 The Government has turned to councils for extra building inspector capacity as high-rise housing projects continue to be dogged by regulatory hold-ups. |
Teenage Reform leader says he should be judged on his record
30/06/2025 Eighteen-year-old Reform UK council leader assures residents his ‘track record is pretty good.’ |
Council chiefs warn of ‘corrosive impact’ of fake news
30/06/2025 Councillors have warned of the ‘dangers to democracy’ posed by fake news, as more than half say they have had misinformation published about them. |
Legal warning over Reform's pension plans
26/06/2025 A legal expert has warned Reform UK councils will not be able to slash local authority pensions. |
New councillors appointed after mass resignation
26/06/2025 Four councillors have been appointed to a town council after all of its members quit. |
Reform council leader resigns leaving teenager in charge
26/06/2025 A Reform UK councillor has stepped down from his role as Warwickshire County Council leader due to health challenges, leaving 18-year-old deputy in charge. |
Tameside rejects shortlisted candidates to replace Stewart
24/06/2025 Crisis-hit Tameside MBC has decided not to proceed with any of the applicants it had shortlisted to become its next chief executive. |
Local Authority of the Year revealed
23/06/2025 The MJ's Local Authority of the Year has been announced at a gala ceremony this afternoon. |
Union gains influx of members from Reform-run councils
20/06/2025 Membership rates for Unison trade union have increased by 205% across Reform-run councils. |
Birmingham CC approves equalities motion
19/06/2025 Birmingham City Council has committed to improving inclusive data collection practices. |
Council chiefs feature in King's Birthday Honours List
16/06/2025 Leading figures from the local government sector were among those awarded the most prestigious titles in King Charles’ Birthday Honours. |
Rochdale grooming gang convicted of raping girls
16/06/2025 Seven members of a Rochdale grooming gang have been found guilty of charges including rape and indecency with a child. |
Housing target threatened by planning officer shortage, says UNISON
16/06/2025 The Government’s efforts to boost affordable housing could be derailed if the shortage of planning officers in England is not addressed, UNISON warns. |
Brum bin strikes could last 6 months longer
06/06/2025 Almost 400 Birmingham bin workers voted for continued strike action in a recent ballot. |
