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# first magazine for councillors

the magazine for local government

## Posts

- [LGR: the choice should be yours](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/lgr-the-choice-should-be-yours/) - There is so much in local government Liberal Democrats want to see changed.
- [Opening the door](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/opening-the-door/) - A new toolkit for disabled councillors.
- [Proactive prevention](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/proactive-prevention/) - Making it work for older adults.
- [Shadow Secretary of State at LGA forum](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/shadow-secretary-of-state-at-lga-forum/) - Sir James Cleverly MP, Shadow Secretary of State for Housing, Communities and Local Government, joined the LGA’s most recent Councillors’ Forum to share his perspective on the challenges and opportunities facing local government.
- [Leading with pride](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/leading-with-pride/) - As we continue to celebrate Pride, I would encourage my fellow LGBTQ+ councillors to attend the LGA’s annual LGBTQ+ Focus on Leadership event.
- [Reclaiming civility in local politics](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/reclaiming-civility-in-local-politics/) - We marked a deeply significant milestone on 16 June: the 10th anniversary of the tragic murder of Jo Cox MP. Five years later, we lost Sir David Amess MP.
- [LGA General Assembly to elect new chair](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/lga-general-assembly-to-elect-new-chair/) - The LGA’s General Assembly will elect a new LGA chair on 7 July, after current incumbent, Cllr Louise Gittins, announced in June that she would be standing down.
- [From neighbourhoods to nations](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/from-neighbourhoods-to-nations/) - Building lasting futures locally.
- [Staying local](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/staying-local/) - LGA chair standing down after two “amazing” years.
- [Looking ahead to the future](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/looking-ahead-to-the-future/) - You’ll be reading this just before or during the LGA’s annual conference.
- [Shaping places in partnership](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/miscellaneous/shaping-places-in-partnership/) - As we head towards the LGA’s annual conference, we have been reflecting on this year’s theme: ‘From neighbourhoods to nations – building lasting futures locally’.
- [From campaigning to governing](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/from-campaigning-to-governing/) - This month marks a year since the Reform UK Group was established at the LGA.
- [Respectful debates](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/respectful-debates/) - Politicians from all parties recently paid tribute to Jo Cox MP, who was murdered just over 10 years ago in the run-up to the Brexit referendum.
- [Reflecting councillor views on social housing](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/reflecting-councillor-views-on-social-housing/) - I am looking forward to welcoming 200 Conservative councillors to Bournemouth next week, at the LGA’s annual conference (7-9 July).
- [Multi-party politics merry-go-round](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/multi-party-politics-merry-go-round/) - The merry-go-round of multi-party politics continues, with nine of 20 seats exchanging hands in recent local by-elections.
- [Local leadership for a resilient Wales](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/local-leadership-for-a-resilient-wales/) - Every day, Welsh councils deliver the services that people depend upon.
- [Central-local relations in education](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/central-local-relations-in-education/) - Better outcomes for children depend not only on national policy, but also on how this is implemented locally.
- [Keeping children safe from violence outside the home](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/keeping-children-safe-from-violence-outside-the-home/) - Children’s social care in England is undergoing once-in-a-generation reform.
- [Faster buses, stronger growth](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/faster-buses-stronger-growth/) - Buses are Britain’s favourite form of public transport, carrying 11 million passengers every day.
- [Students to get MenB vaccine](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/students-to-get-menb-vaccine/) - The Government has announced the rollout of a one-off meningitis B vaccine programme for young people in England and Wales.
- [More people accessing STI services](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/more-people-accessing-sti-services/) - There has been a decrease in diagnoses of sexually transmitted infections (STIs) in England, according to annual data from the UK Health Security Agency.
- [‘Close single-use vapes loophole’ – LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/close-single-use-vapes-loophole-lga/) - The LGA is urging the Government to tighten the definition of single-use vapes to close a loophole, reduce waste and prevent further dangerous bin lorry, recycling and waste centre fires.
- [EHCPs rise as new inclusion guide published](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/ehcps-rise-as-new-inclusion-guide-published/) - The number of children with an education, health and care plan (EHCP) for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has increased by 12.5 per cent since last year, according to official figures.
- [Children’s social care costs at ‘record high’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/childrens-social-care-costs-at-record-high/) - A coalition of children’s charities is calling on the Government to use recent investment to rebalance children’s services towards early support.
- [Local government honoured](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/local-government-honoured/) - The work of councillors and officers in local government has been recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours List 2026.
- [SEND reforms ‘can improve outcomes’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/send-reforms-can-improve-outcomes/) - Eight in 10 councils believe the Government’s SEND reforms will lead to better outcomes for children and young people in England.
- [Football ‘can teach about healthy relationships’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/football-can-teach-about-healthy-relationships/) - The FIFA World Cup 2026 offers a vital opportunity to teach younger people about healthy relationships and how to treat one another with respect, the LGA has said.
- [Children’s social care](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/childrens-social-care/) - The Government is reforming children’s social care through new legislation to help improve the sustainability of young people’s social care placements and funding via the Families First Partnership programme.
- [Community voice](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/community-voice/) - How culture can improve participation.
- [Shaping the conditions that influence health](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/shaping-the-conditions-that-influence-health/) - New public health guidance for councillors.
- [Public sector camera use](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/public-sector-camera-use/) - Call for clearer statutory framework for CCTV.
- [The Health Bill](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/the-health-bill/) - Keeping local government at the heart of reform.
- [Leading your area through the SEND reforms: how strong digital foundations protect children, families and councils](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/advertorial/leading-your-area-through-the-send-reforms-how-strong-digital-foundations-protect-children-families-and-councils/) - The Government’s recent Schools White Paper and the accompanying SEND reform proposals represent a significant shift for local areas.
- [How Warsop health hub is redefining social value in community leisure](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/advertorial/how-warsop-health-hub-is-redefining-social-value-in-community-leisure/) - Delivering £487,950 in social value in 2025 – the equivalent of £260 per person, surpassing the national average of £230 – Warsop Health Hub is proving that well-designed community leisure can have a measurable and transformative impact.
- [A King’s Speech for local government](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/a-kings-speech-for-local-government/) - First, I pay tribute to every Labour councillor who stood in May’s local elections – those re-elected and those who lost their seats – for your tireless dedication to the residents and communities you serve, and to our movement.
- [Support for new councillors](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/support-for-new-councillors-3/) - The LGA offers a wide range of courses and resources.
- [New guide to help councils attract investment](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/new-guide-to-help-councils-attract-investment/) - The LGA has launched a guide to help councils work with the private sector, attract investment and support growth.
- [LGA’s new political balance confirmed](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/lgas-new-political-balance-confirmed-2/) - The Green Party is to establish a group office at the LGA, following the 7 May elections in which it exceeded the required 5 per cent threshold.
- [Sector support](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/sector-support-2/) - The LGA’s new offer for councils and combined authorities.
- [Turning electoral success into influence](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/turning-electoral-success-into-influence/) - Following this year’s local elections, Reform UK is now the third-largest group at the LGA.
- [Diversity of thought and leadership](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/diversity-of-thought-and-leadership/) - Our local government landscape continues to evolve, and the May local elections have demonstrated just how quickly the political map can change.
- [Looking forward to leading](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/looking-forward-to-leading/) - It’s been another busy few weeks in local government!
- [Keeping a dominant voice in the LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/keeping-a-dominant-voice-in-the-lga/) - Following last month’s local elections, the Conservative Group will remain a dominant voice in the LGA, ensuring that the case for authentic Conservative principles is woven into policy and lobbying output on behalf of our councils.
- [Leaders of our places](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/leaders-of-our-places/) - I was delighted to lead an LGA delegation to the UK Real Estate Investment and Infrastructure Forum (UKREiiF) in Leeds last month.
- [New deepfake resource launched](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/new-deepfake-resource-launched/) - The LGA has launched a series of educational videos for councillors and council officers to help identify the growing risks posed by deepfakes and other forms of synthetic media.
- [School nurseries scheme faces ‘reality gap’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/school-nurseries-scheme-faces-reality-gap/) - There is a “sizeable reality gap” between the Government’s policy intentions and progress on opening new school-based nurseries, according to a recent report by the Sutton Trust and the Social Market Foundation.
- [Innovation Zone 2026](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/innovation-zone-2026/) - Navigating change and delivering locally.
- [Challenge and creativity](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/challenge-and-creativity/) - Friendly competition showcases officers’ leadership potential.
- [Growing our own](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/growing-our-own/) - Award honours apprentices shaping local government.
- [An international voice](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/an-international-voice/) - Learning from global partners.
- [Policing reforms](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/policing-reforms/) - Strong local accountability matters.
- [Protecting our public servants](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/protecting-our-public-servants/) - Abuse of council workers and councillors is unacceptable.
- [Council tax surcharge](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/council-tax-surcharge/) - A consultation has opened on government plans for a high-value council tax surcharge on residential properties worth £2 million or more in England.
- [Councillor pensions](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/councillor-pensions/) - Councillors in England under the age of 75 and in receipt of allowances can now apply to join the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS).
- [Mental health strategy](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/mental-health-strategy/) - The Government has launched a call for evidence of best practice in communities to support a new mental health strategy for England focused on prevention.
- [Social work students ‘need financial support’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/social-work-students-need-financial-support/) - The LGA has called for financial support for social work students in England to be brought in line with nursing, teaching and allied health professions, warning that the current system risks undermining the future workforce.
- [A smokefree generation](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/a-smokefree-generation/) - The LGA has hailed the passing of the Tobacco and Vapes Act as a “landmark moment for public health”.
- [Ofsted framework ‘penalises inclusive schools’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/ofsted-framework-penalises-inclusive-schools/) - The new Ofsted inspection framework unfairly penalises schools serving deprived populations or with high levels of special needs (SEND) inclusion, according to analysis undertaken by the National Association of Head Teachers.
- [‘Extend playground vaping ban’ – LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/extend-playground-vaping-ban-lga/) - The LGA has called for an extension to the proposed ban on smoking and vaping in children’s playgrounds to include all playgrounds, not just those managed by councils.
- [Clarity on Right to Buy reforms](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/clarity-on-right-to-buy-reforms/) - The LGA has said government reforms to Right to Buy (RTB) are a step in the right direction for councils seeking greater control over housing stock.
- [‘Neighbourhood guarantee’ on local services](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/neighbourhood-guarantee-on-local-services/) - The Government has announced a new Neighbourhood Guarantee scheme aimed at ensuring councils meet public service targets.
- [Replacement needed for Healthwatch, says LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/replacement-needed-for-healthwatch-says-lga/) - The LGA is calling on the Government to retain a statutory independent local patient ‘voice’ and work with councils to develop a model for patient and public voice that ensures accountability and independence across health and social care.
- [Delivering SEND reforms](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/delivering-send-reforms/) - Putting children and young people first
- [Post-16 local offer ‘needs to improve’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/post-16-local-offer-needs-to-improve/) - Councils must be at the heart of solving the youth unemployment crisis, the LGA has said in response to Alan Milburn’s independent interim report on young people and work.
- [Inclusive growth](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/inclusive-growth/) - Investment that helps all areas to prosper.
- [Turbocharging innovation](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/turbocharging-innovation/) - In Brighton & Hove, we have a huge financial challenge.
- [The King’s Speech](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/the-kings-speech-3/) - What comes next for councils?
- [What works in local government?](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/what-works-in-local-government/) - At the LGA’s Smith Square debate in March, on ‘LG2040: the state of things to come’, we had an interesting discussion on how innovation spreads.
- [A new electoral politics](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/a-new-electoral-politics/) - In little more than a year, the pattern of local government in England has been upended.
- [LGA’s new political balance confirmed](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/lgas-new-political-balance-confirmed/) - Following the local elections held on 7 May, the LGA’s political proportionality has been calculated and independently verified.
- [Elections and appointments](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/elections-and-appointments/) - I am pleased to confirm that Jenny Rowlands has been appointed as the LGA’s Interim Chief Executive.
- [Local government reorganisation](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/local-government-reorganisation/) - Support for councils and strategic authorities.
- [Keeping it local](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/keeping-it-local-2/) - Planning authority expertise must be reflected in regional plans.
- [Reforming the planning system](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/reforming-the-planning-system-2/) - Creating communities, not just homes.
- [Concordat on firefighters’ health](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/concordat-on-firefighters-health/) - Firefighters are to receive tailor-made, research-backed health checks and monitoring aimed at improving their physical and mental health during and after service.
- [Showcasing local leadership](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/showcasing-local-leadership/) - Supporting councils to unlock investment.
- [Multi-party politics makes results difficult to call](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/multi-party-politics-makes-results-difficult-to-call/) - With almost a third of all English council seats falling vacant on 7 May, and nearly half the electorate able to cast a vote, there is scope for quite radical change to the pattern of local government.
- [Planning reforms ‘stop local response’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/planning-reforms-stop-local-response/) - Proposed changes to planning committees could undermine local democratic decision-making, the LGA has warned.
- [Councils ‘key to women’s health’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/councils-key-to-womens-health/) - The Government has updated its Women’s Health Strategy, which aims to help women access the healthcare they need in England.
- [Government must listen on LGR](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/government-must-listen-on-lgr/) - As we enter those final few days before our residents cast their votes in the local elections, I know many colleagues will be in the throes of a final campaign push before the ballot boxes open.
- [Support for change of control](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/support-for-change-of-control/) - I know that Conservative councillors across the country will be campaigning hard on the doorstep.
- [Renters’ rights come into effect](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/renters-rights-come-into-effect/) - On 1 May, this Labour Government’s Renters’ Rights Act came into force in England, marking the beginning of a changed system for all.
- [Educational psychologists shortage warning](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/educational-psychologists-shortage-warning/) - The LGA has called for clarity from ministers on how educational psychologists and other specialists can be attracted into education in the face of staff shortages.
- [Tributes paid to first LGA chair](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/tributes-paid-to-first-lga-chair/) - Tributes have been paid to Lord Jeremy Beecham, the LGA’s first chair, who died in April, aged 81.
- [Review into care-leaver deaths](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/review-into-care-leaver-deaths/) - The Government has announced a review into the deaths of young people leaving the care system.
- [Fewer pupils ‘creating financial risk’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/fewer-pupils-creating-financial-risk/) - Falling pupil numbers have “significant implications for the value for money of the school system”, according to a new report from the National Audit Office (NAO).
- [Families in homes ‘unfit for humans’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/families-in-homes-unfit-for-humans/) - A cross-party group of MPs has called for urgent government action to address poor conditions in temporary accommodation, warning that too many families are living in homes “unfit for human habitation”.
- [Better-connected transport](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/better-connected-transport/) - The Government has set out a long-term plan to deliver simpler, more reliable and better-integrated journeys across England.
- [Interim CEX appointed to LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/interim-cex-appointed-to-lga/) - The LGA has appointed former Camden Chief Executive Jenny Rowlands as its Interim Chief Executive. She will take up the role on 11 May.
- [Standing up for councils](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/standing-up-for-councils/) - Local government should never stand still and the same is true of the bodies that represent it.
- [Supporting your local leadership](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/upporting-your-local-leadership/) - With the local elections fast approaching, members will rightly be focused on door knocking, connecting with residents and reinforcing the shared achievements that have made a difference in their communities.
- [Major change in the political landscape](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/major-change-in-the-political-landscape/) - As polling day approaches, I wanted to say a big thank you for all that you are doing on the election trail – it’s not long now!
- [Budget challenges ‘could impact future housebuilding’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/budget-challenges-could-impact-future-housebuilding/) - The financial outlook for social housing budgets is beginning to improve, although significant challenges remain that could impact future housebuilding.
- [LGA to lead new public health programme](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/miscellaneous/lga-to-lead-new-public-health-programme/) - The LGA has been chosen to lead a major new public health improvement and support programme for councils in England, funded by the Department of Health and Social Care.
- [Tougher on fly-tipping](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/tougher-on-fly-tipping/) - An LGA media campaign drew national attention.
- [Trusted and safe](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/trusted-and-safe/) - Leading responsible use of AI in public services.
- [Fire service challenges](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/fire-service-challenges/) - Navigating change, risk and reform.
- [Flooding: it’s not about the water](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/flooding-its-not-about-the-water/) - I recently requested a joint strategic needs assessment (JSNA) from our local health and wellbeing board, into the impact of flooding on the mental and physical health of affected residents.
- [Support for Windrush communities](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/support-for-windrush-communities/) - The Home Office Windrush scandal caused profound harm to thousands of people who had every right to call Britain home.
- [Improving police governance](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/improving-police-governance/) - Getting the balance right for our communities.
- [Winners and losers](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/winners-and-losers/) - The final quarter of 2025 established a record, with 62 per cent of by-elections lost by the defending party.
- [Post-election support](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/post-election-support/) - Expert support for navigating transitions and new roles.
- [Changing adult social care](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/changing-adult-social-care/) - Early findings from LGA engagement.
- [Looking ahead to the King’s Speech](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/looking-ahead-to-the-kings-speech/) - The Government’s first parliamentary session is coming to a close, having started on 17 July 2024 – an uncommonly long period.
- [Armed Forces: turning commitment into delivery](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/armed-forces-turning-commitment-into-delivery/) - The Armed Forces Bill represents a significant opportunity to build on the UK’s commitment to those who serve and have served, and their families.
- [Ensuring diversity in council groups](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/ensuring-diversity-in-council-groups/) - The LGA’s Be a Councillor programme has made a real difference in delivering diversity in council’s political groups, but we still have a long way to go.
- [Out and about](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/out-and-about/) - From Taunton and Torbay to visiting neighbours across Cheshire and Merseyside, one of my greatest pleasures as LGA Chair is visiting our member councils to find out firsthand about the incredible work they are doing every day for local residents.
- [Protecting those in public life](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/protecting-those-in-public-life/) - The LGA’s Debate Not Hate campaign provides important tools and guidance for councillors. It is a strong and necessary initiative.
- [Supporting historic buildings](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/supporting-historic-buildings/) - Meeting housing, climate and placemaking goals requires a broader focus than new build alone, including the reuse and retrofit of historic buildings.
- [Adult social care ‘faces a reckoning’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/adult-social-care-faces-a-reckoning/) - The Government is to establish a national safeguarding board and accelerate dementia trials in response to some “simple asks” from Baroness Louise Casey, Chair of the Independent Commission into Adult Social Care.
- [Delivering rights for renters](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/delivering-rights-for-renters/) - Enhanced powers for councils.
- [Neighbourhood health](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/neighbourhood-health/) - Unlocking the potential of local places.
- [Home-to-school transport costs set to soar](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/home-to-school-transport-costs-set-to-soar/) - New analysis from the County Councils Network estimates that councils in England could be transporting more than 100,000 more young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to school by the end of the decade.
- [Government announces SEND reforms](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/government-announces-send-reforms/) - The Government has set out its plans to reform the special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system, pledging a “radical expansion in rights” for children with SEND.
- [A good level of development](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/a-good-level-of-development/) - New research on delivering for the youngest children.
- [Planning for healthy places](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/planning-for-healthy-places/) - How councils can lead the next phase of prevention.
- [The Local Outcomes Framework](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/the-local-outcomes-framework/) - How LG Inform brings it to life.
- [Councillors to receive pensions](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/councillors-to-receive-pensions/) - All elected members who receive allowances in England will be able to join the Local Government Pension Scheme from 11 May.
- [Building a single view of your residents with data and AI skills](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/advertorial/building-a-single-view-of-your-residents-with-data-and-ai-skills/) - Local authorities hold vast amounts of data across services, from housing and social care to customer contact and finance. Yet that information is often spread across disconnected systems such as spreadsheets, customer relationship management and service platforms (CRMs) and service platforms, making it difficult to build a clear, actionable view of residents
- [Every child achieving and thriving](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/every-child-achieving-and-thriving/) - SEND reforms are open for consultation.
- [Rethinking public health: why leisure matters more than ever](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/advertorial/rethinking-public-health-why-leisure-matters-more-than-ever/) - By rethinking the role of leisure and placing prevention at the heart of service design, local authorities can deliver lasting benefits for the communities they serve.
- [Comparing retention rates](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/comparing-retention-rates/) - Labour’s gain of Durham’s Murton ward from Reform UK has naturally attracted attention, since it runs contrary to the general trend of Labour struggling to retain seats.
- [Collaboration must drive policing](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/collaboration-must-drive-policing/) - The public rightly expects the police to keep them safe. Yet crime is constantly evolving, with criminals using new tools, technology and tactics to evade the law.
- [Town centres that work for people](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/town-centres-that-work-for-people/) - What is the high street for? For years, the default answer was retail. When footfall fell and vacancy rose, many town centres were left exposed.
- [Thirty years speaking up for rural areas](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/thirty-years-speaking-up-for-rural-areas/) - It is 30 years since rural councils first came together to ensure the realities of delivering services in sparsely populated places were recognised and acted upon, in national policy and funding decisions.
- [Stronger public services in Wales](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/stronger-public-services-in-wales/) - This could be a historic year for Wales. The 2026 Senedd election offers the opportunity for a change of government here for the first time ever.
- [Crisis support for the vulnerable](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/crisis-support-for-the-vulnerable/) - For the first time, local councils can finally plan long-term crisis support to help vulnerable people in their communities, with the introduction of the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) in England.
- [We need clarity on reorganisation](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/we-need-clarity-on-reorganisation/) - The Government’s justification for postponing local elections was that they would be so disruptive alongside local government reorganisation (LGR), that they simply could not go ahead.
- [Building momentum ahead of elections](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/building-momentum-ahead-of-elections/) - The Conservative Spring Conference in Harrogate was a highly successful and energising event, bringing together councillors, activists, parliamentarians, and campaigners from across the country, and helping to build momentum ahead of upcoming local elections.
- [Looking beyond the two-party system](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/looking-beyond-the-two-party-system/) - With local elections approaching, many of you will be balancing the demands of campaigning, council responsibilities, and the everyday challenges facing residents.
- [Schools White Paper and SEND reform](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/schools-white-paper-and-send-reform/) - For years, Labour councils have been clear – our special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system is overwhelmed, under-resourced and struggling to deliver.
- [A turning point for local government funding](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/a-turning-point-for-local-government-funding/) - Over the past 15 years, councils representing the most deprived communities have faced devastating real-term cuts in funding.
- [TA bill ‘could reach £4bn by 2030’ – LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/ta-bill-could-reach-4bn-by-2030-lga/) - The gap between what councils pay out in housing benefit and how much government reimburses them is projected to hit nearly £4 billion between 2017/18 and 2029/30, new LGA analysis reveals.
- [Ombudsman highlights planning enforcement delays](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/ombudsman-highlights-planning-enforcement-delays/) - Complaints about planning enforcement are increasing and some councils are taking years to resolve cases, according to a new report from the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman.
- [Local government ‘at its financially weakest’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/local-government-at-its-financially-weakest/) - The LGA has warned that growing cost and demand pressures continue to push councils in England to the financial brink.
- [Funding increase for public health](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/funding-increase-for-public-health/) - Local authority allocations for the 2026/27 public health grant have been confirmed by the Government at £4.4 billion, a real-terms funding increase.
- [Improving cancer diagnosis and survival](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/improving-cancer-diagnosis-and-survival/) - Councils influence many of the social, economic and environmental factors that determine cancer outcomes.
- [From ambition to action](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/from-ambition-to-action/) - Councils can’t deliver on VAWG alone.
- [Call for review of fly-tipping sentencing](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/call-for-review-of-fly-tipping-sentencing/) - Fly-tipping court fines must be reviewed, councils have urged, as figures show they are lower on average than penalties handed out directly by local authorities.
- [‘Unanswered questions’ on SEND deficits – MPs](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/unanswered-questions-on-send-deficits-mps/) - MPs have warned that the Government’s SEND reforms have left “unanswered questions” on home-to-school transport and council deficits.
- [Social housing finances ‘improving’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/social-housing-finances-improving/) - The financial outlook for councils’ social housing budgets has improved compared with last year, but significant pressures remain that could limit housebuilding, an LGA survey has found.
- [Tourism levy ‘important step in fiscal devolution’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/tourism-levy-important-step-in-fiscal-devolution/) - Devolving the visitor levy to local areas will enable significant investment in the visitor economy, boosting local attractions and tourism businesses, says the LGA.
- [Local government at the spring conferences](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/local-government-at-the-spring-conferences/) - We are looking forward to our Liberal Democrat spring conference in York in March, where local government will be central to the party’s debates.
- [Government to write off £5bn of SEND deficits](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/government-to-write-off-5bn-of-send-deficits/) - The Government has committed to resolving 90 per cent of councils’ historic deficits in respect of provision for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
- [Councils at the heart of social care reform](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/lga-chairman/councils-at-the-heart-of-social-care-reform/) - Our adult social care sector is in desperate need of sustainable investment and a proper plan for long-term reform.
- [Performance, finance and risk](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/performance-finance-and-risk/) - The importance of an integrated approach.
- [Building tomorrow’s workforce](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/building-tomorrows-workforce/) - Helping councils recruit planners and surveyors.
- [Policing crime against elected members](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/policing-crime-against-elected-members/) - New LGA guidance sets out support for councillors.
- [Better health for all](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/better-health-for-all/) - Local leadership in action.
- [Councils ‘could face insolvency’ over SEND deficits](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/councils-could-face-insolvency-over-send-deficits/) - As first was going to press, an announcement was expected on how ministers plan to deal with councils’ mounting deficits in respect of costs for supporting children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in England.
- [Social cohesion](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/social-cohesion/) - Cohesive communities are safer and more resilient.
- [Rethinking local government](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/rethinking-local-government/) - Local government reorganisation challenges us all. The deadlines are daunting, the process is complicated and the workload is immense.
- [‘1 in 3 councils will need emergency bailout’ – LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/1-in-3-councils-will-need-emergency-bailout-lga/) - The LGA called for a significant increase in resources for councils in the final local government finance settlement in England, which was expected to be published as first was going to press.
- [Domestic abuse: changing behaviours](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/domestic-abuse-changing-behaviours/) - People can make meaningful changes to their lives – even after causing harm to those closest to them.
- [Multiple challengers affecting election outcomes](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/the-first-by-elections-of-the-year-suggest-a-continuation-of-the-2025-pattern-when-new-records-were-set/) - The first by-elections of the year suggest a continuation of the 2025 pattern when new records were set.
- [Postponed elections subvert democracy](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/postponed-elections-subvert-democracy/) - Postponed elections subvert democracy.
- [Developing democracy and future leaders](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/developing-democracy-and-future-leaders/) - As we begin the year, the decision to delay some of the local elections has given many of us pause for thought.
- [Committed to a genuine partnership](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/committed-to-a-genuine-partnership/) - Once again, Labour councillors from across England and Wales came together on the second weekend of February for our annual Labour Local Government Conference in Warwick.
- [Minister discusses Schools White Paper](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/minister-discusses-schools-white-paper/) - School Standards Minister Georgia Gould OBE attended the LGA’s Councillors’ Forum in January, to talk about special educational needs and disabilities provision.
- [Emissions costs for waste incineration](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/emissions-costs-for-waste-incineration/) - The Government’s plans to plough ahead with its Emissions Trading Scheme (ETS) will have dire consequences for councils.
- [Twenty-five years of scrutiny](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/twenty-five-years-of-scrutiny/) - The Local Government Act 2000 marked one of the most significant shifts in English local democracy since the 1970s.
- [Children placed in ‘illegal’ care homes](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/children-placed-in-illegal-care-homes/) - Nearly 800 vulnerable children in England have been placed in illegal care homes, raising serious concerns about their safety and wellbeing, according to a report by MPs on the Public Accounts Committee.
- [An LGBTQ+ ‘first’ for housing](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/an-lgbtq-first-for-housing/) - It was the warm July evening of London Pride last year when we received the news that Tonic Housing is now officially the UK’s first LGBTQ+ registered provider of social housing.
- [Building a father-friendly borough](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/building-a-father-friendly-borough/) - “When my son was born, everyone asked how his mum was doing. No-one asked how I was coping. I didn’t think I was allowed to struggle, so I just stayed quiet.”
- [Fair pay agreement for social care ‘unworkable’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/fair-pay-agreement-for-social-care-unworkable/) - The Government’s proposed adult social care Fair Pay Agreement (FPA) will be unworkable without full, sustainable funding and meaningful local government involvement, the LGA has warned.
- [£15bn Warm Homes Plan launched](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/15bn-warm-homes-plan-launched/) - The Government has launched its Warm Homes Plan, a £15 billion programme to upgrade up to five million homes, offering low- and zero-interest loans for solar panels, heat pumps and batteries.
- [Celebrating apprenticeships](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/celebrating-apprenticeships/) - Could your apprentice be our 2026 champion?
- [Housebuilding support service](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/housebuilding-support-service/) - Delivering more social and affordable homes with confidence.
- [Government gives go-ahead to rent convergence](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/government-gives-go-ahead-to-rent-convergence/) - Councils and other providers of social rent homes in England will be able to increase weekly rents on properties currently let at below the maximum that could be charged, if they were re-let to a new tenant.
- [‘Integrated services support child development’ – LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/integrated-services-support-child-development-lga/) - New LGA-commissioned research has found that integrated local services are crucial to meeting the national ambition for 75 per cent of five-year-olds to reach a good level of development (GLD) by 2028.
- [Care where we live](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/care-where-we-live/) - Councils’ role in a reformed adult social care system.
- [A tapestry of resilience](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/a-tapestry-of-resilience/) - Hope and collaboration at Independents’ conference.
- [Digital inclusion ‘needs national coordination’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/digital-inclusion-needs-national-coordination/) - Councils are working to improve digital inclusion, but progress is being hampered by funding challenges and a lack of national coordination, says LGA research.
- [LG Horizons](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/lg-horizons/) - Shaping the future, not chasing it.
- [High-speed digital](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/high-speed-digital/) - The key to inclusive growth.
- [Rail to power northern growth](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/rail-to-power-northern-growth/) - The Government has launched a new Northern Growth Strategy, with Northern Powerhouse Rail at its heart.
- [Funding for road maintenance](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/funding-for-road-maintenance/) - The Government has published an interactive local road-maintenance ratings map, showing how 154 English highway authorities are performing when it comes to repairing potholes and maintaining roads, grading them on a red, amber or green scale.
- [Special needs teacher training announced](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/special-needs-teacher-training-announced/) - The Government has announced a £200 million teacher training programme to support pupils in England with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
- [Using AI to help unpaid carers when it matters most](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/advertorial/using-ai-to-help-unpaid-carers-when-it-matters-most/) - Digital tools now offer councils a practical way to spot needs earlier and connect residents to help before they reach breaking point. Support for unpaid carers demonstrates the power of this approach.
- [Implementing renters’ rights](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/implementing-renters-rights/) - I wanted to take this opportunity to update councillors on some significant recent developments.
- [Connected Spaces, Stronger Communities: Using Co-Location to Improve Health Outcomes](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/advertorial/connected-spaces-stronger-communities-using-co-location-to-improve-health-outcomes/) - Alliance Leisure’s Will Gardner makes the case for co-location – bringing health, leisure and community services together within a single, integrated facility – to improve health outcomes.
- [Helping councils maximise their early years impact](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/advertorial/helping-councils-maximise-their-early-years-impact/) - The innovation foundation Nesta is offering free support to assist local authorities to develop their Best Start in Life national plans.
- [Progress on fair funding](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/progress-on-fair-funding/) - Let me take the opportunity in this first first magazine of 2026 to wish all LGA member councils a very happy new year.
- [Scrutinising devolution in the Lords](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/scrutinising-devolution-in-the-lords/) - I would like to wish everyone across the local government family a prosperous 2026 and congratulate all those in the sector who were recognised for their efforts in the New Year Honours List – in particular, the former Leader of Buckinghamshire Council Cllr Martin Tett, who has been made a CBE.
- [New year, new opportunities](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/new-year-new-opportunities/) - Last year was another extraordinary one for local government – one of challenge, but also of real progress.
- [Support for refugees](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/support-for-refugees/) - In 1999, I arrived in the UK as a refugee, hidden in the back of a refrigerated container with my young family and unable to speak a word of English.
- [The uniqueness of our places](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/the-uniqueness-of-our-places/) - The provisional local government finance settlement was the last main event of a busy 2025.
- [Working for the council](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/working-for-the-council/) - Making a difference for residents.
- [Inclusive economic ecosystems](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/inclusive-economic-ecosystems/) - Growth that improves life chances.
- [LGA restructure ‘to empower local leadership’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/lga-restructure-to-empower-local-leadership/) - As first was going to press, the LGA was launching a consultation with staff on restructuring the organisation.
- [Finance settlements published in England and Wales](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/finance-settlements-published-in-england-and-wales/) - Budget-setting will remain a “hugely challenging task” for many councils in England, despite confirmation of a multi-year financial settlement before Christmas, the LGA has warned.
- [A force for growth](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/a-force-for-growth-2/) - The role of councils in delivering inclusive growth.
- [Election delays damage public confidence](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/election-delays-damage-public-confidence/) - The past year has been unsettled for local government.
- [An honest and balanced partnership](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/an-honest-and-balanced-partnership/) - As we enter 2026, local government faces a year of significant change.
- [Local research on improving residents’ health](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/local-research-on-improving-residents-health/) - The National Institute for Health and Care Research has made a significant investment in local government research capacity recently, through the establishment of 30 Health Determinants Research Collaborations (HDRCs) across the UK – each receiving £5m over five years.
- [Expansion of specialist SEND spaces](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/expansion-of-specialist-send-spaces/) - There will be more specialist, calm learning spaces in mainstream schools to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), the Government announced last month.
- [Ready for more gains in May](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/ready-for-more-gains-in-may/) - Last year, the Liberal Democrats won the most council by-elections across the UK.
- [Child poverty strategy published](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/child-poverty-strategy-published/) - The Government’s new UK-wide ‘Tackling Child Poverty’ strategy aims to lift more than half a million children out of poverty through measures including expanding childcare for families on Universal Credit, cost savings on baby formula, and ending the long-term placement of families in B&B accommodation.
- [Call to ban unethical ‘patient brokering’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/call-to-ban-unethical-patient-brokering/) - The LGA and campaigners are calling for new legislation to tackle the exploitation of vulnerable people through ‘patient brokering’ in England’s drug and alcohol addiction treatment sector.
- [Protections for workers ‘must be funded’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/protections-for-workers-must-be-funded/) - The cost to councils of implementing new employment reforms must be matched by new funding or public money could be diverted from vital local services, the LGA has warned.
- [Council voice ‘must be heard’ on planning reforms](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/council-voice-must-be-heard-on-planning-reforms/) - It is crucial that councils’ views are fully considered in a consultation on “significant” changes to the planning system in England, the LGA has said.
- [New strategy ‘to end homelessness’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/new-strategy-to-end-homelessness/) - The UK Government has published its long-awaited National Plan to End Homelessness, setting out a long-term, cross-government strategy to make homelessness rare, brief and non-recurring in England.
- [Closing the ‘holiday experience’ gap](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/closing-the-holiday-experience-gap/) - Giving children from low-income households access to similar opportunities to their peers during school holidays improves children’s health and wellbeing, promotes healthy eating, boosts school attendance, and improves inclusivity for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
- [Social care priorities ‘need investment’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/social-care-priorities-need-investment/) - The Government has written to councils setting out its three priorities for adult social care for local authorities, alongside its ambition to establish a national care service.
- [Three-year public health grant confirmed](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/three-year-public-health-grant-confirmed/) - Councils in England will receive £13.45 billion over the next three years for local public health services, the Government confirmed last month..
- [What do you need from the next census?](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/what-do-you-need-from-the-next-census/) - Probably the last thing on your mind as you contemplate 2026’s in-tray is the next UK census.
- [More free support for care leavers](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/more-free-support-for-care-leavers/) - Care leavers in England will receive free prescriptions, as well as dental and eye care, up to their 25th birthday, under a new package of measures announced by the Government.
- [Honouring the sector](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/honouring-the-sector/) - A swathe of councillors and officers were recognised for their services to local government in the King’s New Year Honours, underlining the sector’s key contribution to national life.
- [Managing Whitehall’s competing demands](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/managing-whitehalls-competing-demands/) - All politicians frequently hear from their constituents about the importance of joined-up government, and the impact of its absence in decision-making.
- [The joy of helping care-experienced youngsters](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/the-joy-of-helping-care-experienced-youngsters/) - Children in care can sadly often be seen as a financial burden, but that’s not how it should be.
- [Local government’s everyday heroes](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/local-governments-everyday-heroes/) - A career in local government is one many choose for the sense of purpose it offers, and the sector attracts people who are often the everyday unsung heroes of our society.
- [Leadership support for disabled councillors](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/leadership-support-for-disabled-councillors/) - Developing skills and building networks.
- [Fire prevention and safeguarding residents](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/fire-prevention-and-safeguarding-residents/) - Fire safety is often viewed as a technical issue, but tragic incidents have demonstrated that it is fundamentally a safeguarding one.
- [Undermining the established order](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/undermining-the-established-order/) - Last year established a new record for the rate at which by-election seats are changing hands.
- [Transformational support](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/transformational-support/) - The LGA can help councillors lead change.
- [From strategy to action](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/from-strategy-to-action/) - Delivering the best start for under-fives.
- [Reading for pleasure](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/reading-for-pleasure/) - A call to local government leadership.
- [A cross-sector voice](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/a-cross-sector-voice/) - Engaging ministers on what matters to councils.
- [Violence against women and girls](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/violence-against-women-and-girls-3/) - New strategy presents significant challenges.
- [Balancing budgets](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/balancing-budgets/) - Rising pressures threaten councils’ financial sustainability.
- [English devolution](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/english-devolution-2/) - Progress made and the road ahead.
- [How procurement can drive stronger local services and communities](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/advertorial/how-procurement-can-drive-stronger-local-services-and-communities/) - The UK’s local government sector can free up much-needed cash by tackling the way it buys everyday items used in the world of work – meaning more time for staff and better value for local communities
- [Changes are better late than never](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/changes-are-better-late-than-never/) - The Chancellor has finally decided to abolish the two-child benefit cap.
- [Budgeting for care](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/lga-chairman/chairs-comment/) - Last month’s Budget coincided with the LGA’s National Children and Adult Services Conference, held this year in Bournemouth.
- [Getting care-experienced children active](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/getting-care-experienced-children-active/) - Physical activity can help address inequalities.
- [A future-ready workforce](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/a-future-ready-workforce/) - Strategies for tackling recruitment and retention challenges.
- [Leadership challenge](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/leadership-challenge/) - The LGA’s flagship competition is launching for 2026.
- [New funding formulae published](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/new-funding-formulae-published/) - The Government has set out how councils in England will be funded from 2026/27, with new funding formulae based on 2025 indices of deprivation, population projections and service demand.
- [Multi-party politics](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/multi-party-politics/) - The new multi-party politics is having a noticeable impact on the proportion of seats changing hands and the low share of the vote often needed for victory.
- [Men’s health strategy](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/mens-health-strategy/) - A milestone for public health.
- [Beyond stability: the future of local government](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/beyond-stability-the-future-of-local-government/) - With the draft Welsh budget and provisional local government settlement now published, we have a clearer picture of the landscape in which councils will be operating over the next year.
- [Children in care ‘up 18 per cent’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/children-in-care-up-18-per-cent/) - The number of looked-after children in England is almost 18 per cent higher than 10 years ago, with 81,770 in the care of councils as of 31 March 2025.
- [Budget ‘doesn’t address pressures on council finances’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/budget-doesnt-address-pressures-on-council-finances-2/) - Local government finances remain “under severe pressure”, the LGA has warned, after last week’s Budget failed to provide significant increased funding.
- [Autumn Budget 2025](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/autumn-budget-2025/) - November’s Autumn Budget included several proposals impacting on councils and their communities.
- [Missed opportunity to reset council finances](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/missed-opportunity-to-reset-council-finances/) - This could have been a consequential period for local government finance.
- [Using our influence at the LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/using-our-influence-at-the-lga/) - As we approach the end of the year, the LGA’s Reform UK Group – with only a few months under its belt – has carried out much of the good work it set out to do in September.
- [Delivering a fairer society for all](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/delivering-a-fairer-society-for-all/) - From day one of this Labour Government, ministers have been clear that fairness and fiscal stability is at the heart of our Plan for Change, and the Chancellor’s Autumn Budget represents a hopeful step for communities across the country.
- [Government ‘to fund SEND’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/government-to-fund-send-2/) - The Government has pledged to fund the full cost of provision for children and young people with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) from 2028/29.
- [New crisis and resilience fund ‘falls short’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/new-crisis-and-resilience-fund-falls-short/) - Only 2 per cent of councils believe funding for the new Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) will be sufficient to meet local welfare needs ‘to a great extent’, according to an LGA survey.
- [Temporary accommodation funding gap ‘to hit £3bn’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/temporary-accommodation-funding-gap-to-hit-3bn/) - The cumulative cost to councils in England of the temporary accommodation subsidy gap could reach £3 billion by the end of the decade, according to new LGA analysis.
- [Raising healthier children](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/miscellaneous/raising-healthier-children/) - Tackling inequalities requires leadership and investment.
- [Organising local bus services](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/organising-local-bus-services/) - Local leaders face a crucial choice about how bus networks are organised because of the new Bus Services Act 2025, which allows councils and combined authorities to adopt different delivery models. While that flexibility is welcome, it also demands careful, evidence-led decision-making.
- [Preparing for the challenges ahead](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/preparing-for-the-challenges-ahead/) - As we look towards the LGA Independent Group Annual Conference 2026, our theme – ‘Resilience for councillors, community and place’ – could not be more timely.
- [Intent to deceive](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/intent-to-deceive/) - New guide for councillors on disinformation.
- [Putting buses back in local hands](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/putting-buses-back-in-local-hands/) - For decades, bus services have not been up to scratch, with services falling, routes slashed and fares rising.
- [Reforms proposed to councillor standards](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/reforms-proposed-to-councillor-standards/) - Councils will have new powers to suspend elected members for serious misconduct for up to six months, and withhold allowances, under proposals for reforming the current councillors’ standards regime.
- [Harnessing the power of peers](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/harnessing-the-power-of-peers/) - Building confidence and mutual trust.
- [Civil resilience](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/civil-resilience/) - A new guide for councillors.
- [Making places safer](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/making-places-safer/) - Councils understand community needs.
- [Changes to integrated care](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/changes-to-integrated-care/) - The Government has announced a reduction in integrated care board staff numbers and NHS England administrative and managerial staff to redistribute £1 billion a year to frontline care. The moves are part of plans to bring NHS England back into the Department of Health and Social Care within two years.
- [Councils ‘essential to reducing economic inactivity’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/councils-essential-to-reducing-economic-inactivity/) - Councils must be at the forefront of national efforts to reduce economic inactivity and strengthen the workforce, the LGA has said, in response to recent government initiatives.
- [Guidance published on social and affordable housing](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/guidance-published-on-social-and-affordable-housing/) - The Government has published guidance for the £39 billion Social and Affordable Homes Programme, which aims to accelerate the delivery of secure, affordable homes to ease national housing pressures.
- [Needs of under-fives on the increase](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/needs-of-under-fives-on-the-increase/) - LGA calls for inclusive early years education.
- [Shaping the future of children’s services](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/shaping-the-future-of-childrens-services/) - SEND reform is key.
- [Interlocking care reforms](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/interlocking-care-reforms/) - LGA to consult members on Casey review.
- [Local experience ‘must inform pandemic planning’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/local-experience-must-inform-pandemic-planning/) - The LGA has called for local government’s experience of COVID-19 to inform future national planning and decision-making.
- [Tackling knife crime](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/tackling-knife-crime/) - Reducing violence means confronting the underlying causes.
- [Places and partnerships](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/places-and-partnerships/) - Labour will build homes, not just houses.
- [The next step](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/the-next-step/) - Communities have the right to decide their own future,
- [Licence plan to protect children from vape sales](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/licence-plan-to-protect-children-from-vape-sales/) - The Government has announced plans to introduce the first licences for retailers selling tobacco, vapes and nicotine products.
- [Fair pay for care workers ‘must be fully funded’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/fair-pay-for-care-workers-must-be-fully-funded/) - The Government has announced a £500 million investment for the first fair pay agreement for adult care workers, alongside a public consultation on its implementation.
- [Championing rural futures](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/championing-rural-futures/) - This year’s National Rural Conference was our biggest yet – four days of debate, learning and collaboration focused on the future of rural communities.
- [‘Keep bin collections local’ – LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/keep-bin-collections-local-lga/) - The LGA has urged ministers to resist calls from the packaging industry to run household waste and recycling, and to keep collection decisions local.
- [Conference season success](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/conference-season-success/) - Councils were at the heart of national debate.
- [Radical reforms](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/radical-reforms/) - An ambitious strategy is needed to end homelessness and rough sleeping.
- [How smarter procurement is helping local authorities deliver](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/how-smarter-procurement-is-helping-local-authorities-deliver-lga-advertorial/) - Embracing digital procurement means local authorities can reduce spend, boost local communities and help meet net-zero targets.
- [LGA Budget submission](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/lga-budget-submission/) - Developing local solutions to complex issues.
- [‘Some progress’ on housing complaints](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/some-progress-on-housing-complaints/) - Complaints to the Housing Ombudsman for England continued to rise last year, though there are signs of improvement in how some landlords are handling cases, according to its Annual Complaints Review 2024-25.
- [Communities ‘don’t know who is managing flood risk’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/communities-dont-know-who-is-managing-flood-risk/) - MPs have called for a single national flood information and reporting service, warning that many communities do not know who is responsible for managing flood risk in their area.
- [From establishment to influence](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/from-establishment-to-influence/) - September marked the formal establishment of the Reform UK Group Office at the LGA. That milestone was about presence – ensuring our councillors had a seat at the table. The next stage is about influence.
- [100 days of progress and purpose](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/100-days-of-progress-and-purpose/) - As I reach the 100-day milestone, I feel humbled and privileged to have been entrusted to represent you as Leader of the LGA’s Independent Group.
- [The right support for councillors](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/the-right-support-for-councillors/) - It’s a breath of fresh air to have a government take our role seriously and value councillors’ work – sometimes, anyway!
- [Pride in every place](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/lga-chairman/pride-in-every-place/) - Last month, the Government announced its Pride in Place programme, which includes new powers and £5 billion in funding for more than 330 of our most deprived neighbourhoods in England.
- [Tackling poor housing in the private rented sector](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/tackling-poor-housing-in-the-private-rented-sector/) - Every council in England knows that local government is at the coalface of the housing crisis in our country.
- [A strong voice for Conservative councils](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/a-strong-voice-for-conservative-councils/) - I am writing this after a busy, but very enjoyable, Conservative Party Conference in Manchester.
- [60 seconds with…Councillor Sir Ron Watson CBE](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/60-seconds-with-councillor-sir-ron-watson-cbe/) - Sir Ron Watson CBE (Con, Sefton), 80, has been a councillor since 1969 and helped establish the LGA
- [Engaging young people in local democracy](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/engaging-young-people-in-local-democracy/) - Young people have become increasingly disillusioned with British democracy, as illustrated by low levels of trust and political participation. This is especially the case for youth from less well-off groups.
- [Prescribing healthy food](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/prescribing-healthy-food/) - At Alexandra Rose, we believe access to healthy food is one of the most powerful tools for tackling health inequalities.
- [The first 1,001 days](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/the-first-1001-days/) - Two years ago in these pages, I wrote about the urgent need for a national pathway for pregnant women and mothers facing children’s social care involvement.
- [Modest advances](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/modest-advances/) - It is little wonder that those attending the recent Labour and Conservative party conferences spent much of their time looking over their shoulders at Reform UK.
- [Emergency bailouts becoming ‘normalised’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/emergency-bailouts-becoming-normalised/) - Council emergency bailout deals are at risk of becoming ‘normalised’ as budget overspends continue to rise, the LGA has warned.
- [A journey to outstanding](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/a-journey-to-outstanding/) - In 2017, Ofsted judged Walsall’s children’s services as ‘requires improvement’.
- [Closing the gap in child dental health](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/closing-the-gap-in-child-dental-health/) - More than two million free toothbrushes and toothpastes have been given to children in disadvantaged communities as part of local councils’ delivery of the national supervised toothbrushing programme.
- [Council recruitment campaign targets young people](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/council-recruitment-campaign-targets-young-people/) - An innovative pilot campaign aimed at promoting local government careers for young people launched in October in the West Midlands.
- [‘£13bn potential growth in industrial towns’ – LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/13bn-potential-growth-in-industrial-towns-lga/) - Older industrial towns and cities across England could deliver up to £13 billion in untapped economic potential if given the right investment and powers, according to new analysis commissioned by the LGA.
- [Opening the doors to democracy](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/opening-the-doors-to-democracy/) - Birmingham’s ‘Be a Councillor’ sessions.
- [Rising temporary accommodation costs in England and Wales](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/rising-temporary-accommodation-costs-in-england-and-wales/) - Council spending on temporary accommodation in England has risen by a quarter in the past year, reaching £2.8 billion in 2024/25, according to recent government figures.
- [Delivering better care, together](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/delivering-better-care-together/) - New report on adult social care improvement programme.
- [£5 billion for community regeneration](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/5-billion-for-community-regeneration/) - Community groups will be given powers to block betting and vape shops from opening and save local pubs and libraries from closure.
- [Communicating about care](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/communicating-about-care/) - Building support for change.
- [Illicit tobacco](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/illicit-tobacco/) - The market is shrinking but remains a local threat.
- [Celebrating local successes](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/celebrating-local-successes/) - Lib Dem council seats increase for seventh year.
- [Certainty and freedom](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/certainty-and-freedom/) - Conservatives trust local leadership.
- [Credibility, courtesy and professionalism](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/credibility-courtesy-and-professionalism/) - The establishment of the Reform UK Group Office at the LGA marks a historic moment.
- [Clay Cross Active: A Flagship Community Hub Driving Health, Wellbeing and Regeneration in North East Derbyshire](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/clay-cross-active-a-flagship-community-hub-driving-health-wellbeing-and-regeneration-in-north-east-derbyshire/) - In July 2025, the doors of Clay Cross Active, a revolutionary new leisure and wellbeing hub, opened for the first time in Derbyshire. The £26.3m project acts as a blueprint for local authorities wishing to embrace the co-location of health, social, and wellbeing services, and is set to transform the lives of the local community it has been tailored to serve.
- [Robust support](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/robust-support/) - Local by-elections continue to see Reform UK mainly, but not exclusively, progress against both main parties. Volatility abounds, with 16 of 35 seats changing hands.
- [Taking the lead](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/taking-the-lead-3/) - It’s almost a year since the first Leaders’ Council was held at the LGA’s 2024 annual conference in Harrogate.
- [How the youth sector helps reduce violence](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/how-the-youth-sector-helps-reduce-violence/) - The Youth Endowment Fund (YEF) exists to prevent children from becoming involved in violence, by identifying what works and translating evidence into practice.
- [A platform for growth](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/a-platform-for-growth/) - This year, we celebrate a remarkable milestone – 21 years of the LGA’s flagship leadership event for black, Asian and ethnic minority (BAME) councillors
- [Graduating in public service](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/graduating-in-public-service/) - Councils can apply now for top graduates.
- [Sector support in action](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/sector-support-in-action/) - LGA improvement programmes save councils millions of pounds.
- [‘Details lacking’ on jobs and careers integration](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/details-lacking-on-jobs-and-careers-integration/) - MPs reviewing the establishment of a new jobs and careers service have warned that adult careers services face issues of accountability, with responsibility falling between two government departments and local government.
- [Ban on selling high-caffeine drinks to U16s](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/ban-on-selling-high-caffeine-drinks-to-u16s/) - The Government has launched a consultation on proposals to ban the sale of high-caffeine energy drinks to children under 16 in England.
- [Residential care costs ‘doubled’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/residential-care-costs-doubled/) - Residential care costs for looked-after children have almost doubled in five years, according to a new report from the National Audit Office.
- [Supported housing ‘could save NHS millions’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/supported-housing-could-save-nhs-millions-2/) - The LGA is urging government to address subsidy rules and invest in supported housing to reduce pressures on health services and ensure effective implementation of the Supported Housing Act 2023.
- [Better governance](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/better-governance/) - Members remain central to the LGA’s decision-making processes.
- [Fair funding reforms](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/fair-funding-reforms/) - Councils still need additional resources.
- [Permitted development rights](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/permitted-development-rights/) - The LGA wants to end unplanned office-to-residential conversions.
- [Care-experienced ‘need better access to physical activity’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/care-experienced-need-better-access-to-physical-activity/) - A new report has called for care experienced children and young people to have better access to physical activity.
- [Showcasing local government](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/showcasing-local-government/) - Ensuring councils are heard at the party conferences.
- [Leading with empathy and fostering unity](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/leading-with-empathy-and-fostering-unity/) - At the time of writing, we are dismayed by the murder in the US of Charlie Kirk.
- [Getting things done locally](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/getting-things-done-locally/) - Across the UK, 76 councils have a Liberal Democrat leader, with the party holding the deputy leadership in a further 16 administrations.
- [Productive relationships](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/productive-relationships/) - September marks the start of the new political year, and I am delighted that, in its first week, we held the first ‘Blue Team’ meeting with our new Shadow Secretary of State, James Cleverly, and his shadow ministerial team.
- [Believing in the power of councillors](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/believing-in-the-power-of-councillors/) - They say a week is a long time in politics, and that is never truer than during a reshuffle.
- [Holiday programme extended](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/holiday-programme-extended/) - The Government has announced a £600 million extension of the Holiday Activities and Food programme in England for another three years.
- [A local voice at party conferences](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/a-local-voice-at-party-conferences/)
- [The best start in life](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/the-best-start-in-life-3/) - Providing national support for family hubs.
- [Good neighbours](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/good-neighbours/) - Partnership working is key to delivering health reforms.
- [‘Invest in grassroots sports through councils’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/invest-in-grassroots-sports-through-councils/) - The £400 million announced in June’s Spending Review for grassroots sports facilities should be directed towards vital local community assets, such as leisure centres, swimming pools and local gyms.
- [Unlocking growth through partnership and devolution](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/unlocking-growth-through-partnership-and-devolution/) - Across the country, political leaders share a common goal: creating an environment where private enterprise can flourish, which, in turn, creates more and better-paid jobs, allowing workers to keep more money in their pockets. A virtuous circle, so to speak.
- [Rural and deprived areas ‘hit by dental deserts’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/rural-and-deprived-areas-hit-by-dental-deserts/) - Persistent unequal access to NHS dental care is deepening health inequalities in England, with rural and deprived communities particularly struggling to access treatment.
- [Councils delivering on free health checks](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/councils-delivering-on-free-health-checks/) - A record 1.04 million people aged over 40 were invited to free NHS health checks in the first quarter of this year, as part of a national programme commissioned by local councils.
- [Right to Buy reforms ‘need to go further’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/right-to-buy-reforms-need-to-go-further/) - While recent reforms of Right to Buy (RTB) led to a sharp increase in applications from people wanting to buy their council houses, local authorities in England see long-term benefits from them for boosting their stock of social housing, a new LGA survey has found.
- [The future is cooperative](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/the-future-is-cooperative/) - Let’s face it: local government can sometimes feel like trying to fix a leaky roof in a thunderstorm – with a teaspoon.
- [Teen pregnancies on the rise](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/teen-pregnancies-on-the-rise/) - Teenage pregnancy rates are rising for the first time in 14 years, prompting an LGA call for renewed action, including a national sexual health strategy.
- [Improving lives](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/improving-lives/) - More than 1,800 delegates attended the LGA’s annual conference in Liverpool.
- [Championing public services](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/championing-public-services/) - It is an honour to be writing my first magazine article (no pun intended!) as the new LGA Independent Group Leader – and following the LGA’s annual conference in Liverpool, I want to reiterate my commitments as the new group leader.
- [SEND system needs cross-party reform](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/send-system-needs-cross-party-reform/) - Change is sorely needed for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
- [Transforming health and wellbeing](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/transforming-health-and-wellbeing/) - Moving power out of Westminster and back into our communities was a key manifesto pledge of this Labour Government, and the NHS 10 Year Health Plan for England does just that.
- [Conference catchups](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/lga-chairman/conference-catchups/) - The LGA’s annual conference is always a wonderful opportunity to catch up with old political friends, make new ones, and grow our support and information networks to help in our work as councillors.
- [Improving early years education](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/improving-early-years-education/) - When I first became a cabinet member, I attended the LGA’s enhanced children’s services training at Warwick and learned just how important the early years are.
- [Early support to get ahead of homelessness](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/early-support-to-get-ahead-of-homelessness/) - Like many councils across the UK, Chelmsford City Council faces rising homelessness and not enough social and affordable housing.
- [In the spotlight](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/in-the-spotlight/) - Bradford is UK City of Culture 2025
- [LGA Annual Conference and Exhibition 2025](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/lga-annual-conference-and-exhibition-2025/) - Thank you to everyone who took part in the LGA’s annual conference in Liverpool and contributed to an incredibly thought-provoking and invigorating three days.
- [And the winner is…](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/and-the-winner-is/) - Tackling the most pressing challenges facing councils
- [Harnessing opportunities](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/harnessing-opportunities/) - The Innovation Zone showcased councils’ transformational projects.
- [Mobile phone theft](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/mobile-phone-theft/) - Councils are essential partners in prevention.
- [Working within combined authorities](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/working-within-combined-authorities/) - The LGA has published lessons for councils.
- [‘Existential crisis’ in social care](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/existential-crisis-in-social-care/) - The Government needs to do more to address local government’s three ‘Horsemen of the Apocalypse’ – adult social care, special educational needs and disabilities (SEND), and housing.
- [Reform on a mission to ‘fix’ councils](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/reform-on-a-mission-to-fix-councils-2/) - Reform UK is on a mission to “save Britain… and our many broken councils”, according to Cllr Jaymey McIvor, the party’s Director of Local Government.
- [Funding system is “broken”](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/funding-system-is-broken-2/) - Councils are being “forced to play along” with the Government’s “top-down” devolution programme or “face the threat of local government reorganisation without consent”, according to Kevin Hollinrake, former Shadow Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities.
- [Children leaving care for homelessness – MPs](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/children-leaving-care-for-homelessness-mps-2/) - An “alarming” number of children are leaving the care system and becoming homeless, and not in employment or in education, because children’s social care services are overstretched in the face of rising need.
- [Summer childcare costs up 4%](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/summer-childcare-costs-up-4/) - Summer holiday clubs to cover Britain’s six-week school break now cost parents an average of £1,076 per child, according to new figures from the children’s charity Coram.
- [Change in prospect](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/change-in-prospect/) - The Reform UK surge in local government continues.
- [Taking our future into our own hands](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/taking-our-future-into-our-own-hands-2/) - Six years ago, South Yorkshire’s ability to shape its own future was limited.
- [Extreme weather events](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/extreme-weather-events-2/) - Adapting to the risks of climate change.
- [New ‘outcomes framework’ for councils](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/new-outcomes-framework-for-councils/) - A ‘Local Government Outcomes Framework’ and new initiatives to tackle bureaucracy were among the announcements in Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner’s speech to the LGA’s annual conference.
- [Councillors under threat](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/councillors-under-threat/) - Survey reveals persistent levels of abuse and misinformation.
- [Independents told to ‘drive change’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/independents-told-to-drive-change/) - Local government is living through political change and an “age of shocks”, including climate shocks, the LGA’s annual conference heard.
- [Election registration reforms announced](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/election-registration-reforms-announced/) - People who abuse election candidates and campaigners will face tougher sentences, and candidates’ addresses will not be published, in reforms set out in a government elections strategy paper.
- [‘Short-term funding jeopardising VAWG targets’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/short-term-funding-jeopardising-vawg-targets/) - Efforts to tackle violence against women and girls (VAWG) are being undermined by fragmented and short-term funding, according to a report from the Commons’ Home Affairs Committee.
- [Family support hubs for all council areas](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/family-support-hubs-for-all-council-areas-2/) - One-stop shops for services for babies and young children and their families are to be established in every local authority in England.
- [English devolution](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/english-devolution/) - New legislation requires neighbourhood engagement.
- [A force for growth](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/a-force-for-growth/) - Councils are key to unlocking economic potential.
- [Thirty years of the Nolan Principles](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/thirty-years-of-the-nolan-principles/) - A reflection on councillor standards today.
- [SEND transport costs soar](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/send-transport-costs-soar/) - New analysis published by the LGA has found spending by councils on home-to-school transport for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) is predicted to reach nearly £2 billion this year (2025/26).
- [Neighbourhood health at centre of NHS plan](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/neighbourhood-health-at-centre-of-nhs-plan/) - The crucial role of councils in delivering the NHS 10 Year Health Plan for England must be recognised, the LGA has said.
- [‘Record’ overspend on social care](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/record-overspend-on-social-care/) - Councils in England have recorded their highest social care overspend in a decade – £774 million as of last March.
- [Tackling barriers to growth could unleash £276bn of economic potential](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/tackling-barriers-to-growth-could-unleash-276bn-of-economic-potential/) - Councils across England could unleash £276 billion of untapped economic potential – equivalent to more than a tenth of national output – with government support to break down place-specific barriers to growth, according to LGA-commissioned analysis.
- [Road tax should be going to councils](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/road-tax-should-be-going-to-councils/) - National Highways maintains just 2 per cent of England’s roads, while our local authority highway departments maintain more than 90 per cent.
- [Support service for council housebuilding launched](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/support-service-for-council-housebuilding-launched/) - A new initiative to help councils scale up housebuilding in their areas was launched by the Deputy Prime Minister at the LGA’s annual conference in early July.
- [An Independent voice](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/an-independent-voice/) - The LGA’s longest-serving political group leader is standing down
- [Coming together at conference](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/coming-together-at-conference/) - Many of you will receive this edition of first as you are making final preparations for the LGA’s Annual Conference and Exhibition in Liverpool.
- [50 years of getting young voices heard](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/50-years-of-getting-young-voices-heard/) - Coram Voice is the first and longest continuing voice for the child in care.
- [Best practice in street works](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/best-practice-in-street-works/) - Useful tools are already available
- [Councils ‘struggling to recruit’ key staff](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/miscellaneous/councils-struggling-to-recruit-key-staff/) - Almost every council in England continues to struggle to recruit and retain key frontline staff, including children’s and adults’ social workers, according to an LGA workforce survey.
- [Fostering pride](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/fostering-pride/) - Councils are busting myths about who can foster.
- [Empowering people and places](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/empowering-people-and-places/) - The LGA’s annual conference kicks off next week in Liverpool.
- [Partnership and prevention](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/partnership-and-prevention/) - The NHS can’t deliver a healthier society on its own.
- [Uttlesford District Council enhances efficiency and boosts morale with Idox Insights - LGA Advertorial](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/advertorial/uttlesford-district-council-enhances-efficiency-and-boosts-morale-with-idox-insights-lga-advertorial/) - Effective resource management is one of the biggest challenges facing councils. Recruiting and retaining professional expertise is vital to meet the needs of local communities but today at least eight out of 10 planning departments are short of staff.
- [Councils face difficult decisions](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/councils-face-difficult-decisions/) - Spending Review delivers on some key LGA asks, but severe financial pressures remain
- [Sharing good practice nationally](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/lga-chairman/sharing-good-practice-nationally/) - One of the great pleasures of attending the LGA’s annual conference as Chair is being able to dip in and out of sessions at our Innovation Zone.
- [Flexibility on way for remote meetings](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/flexibility-on-way-for-remote-meetings/) - The Government is set to give local authorities the flexibility to allow councillors to attend council meetings remotely, almost nine months after Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner promised the move at the LGA’s 2024 annual conference last October.
- [‘Boost OT numbers to meet health goals’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/boost-ot-numbers-to-meet-health-goals/) - Increasing the number of occupational therapists working in councils would help meet government health goals, a new report by the LGA says.
- [Sentencing report ‘does not reflect councils’ role’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/sentencing-report-does-not-reflect-councils-role/) - A major report on sentencing does not appreciate the significant role councils play in managing risk and supporting offenders outside custody, the LGA has warned.
- [SEND override to continue as LG funding consultations published](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/send-override-to-continue-as-lg-funding-consultations-published/) - A workaround allowing councils with responsibility for special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) to balance their books will continue after March to 2028, the Government has confirmed.
- [New report urges reform of SEND system](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/new-report-urges-reform-of-send-system-2/) - The LGA says more children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) should get the care and support they need in schools and other mainstream settings without the need for a statutory plan.
- [Turnover accelerating](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/turnover-accelerating-2/) - The 1 May elections saw hundreds of seats changing hands, but recent by-elections show turnover accelerating; of 23 recent by-elections, 61 per cent resulted in the defending party being defeated.
- [More powers to reclaim sites from developers](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/more-powers-to-reclaim-sites-from-developers/) - Housebuilders will have to commit to delivery timeframes before they get planning permission, and submit annual reports to councils showing their progress, under new rules to ensure homes with planning permission are built out.
- [Free school meals expanded to UC families](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/free-school-meals-expanded-to-uc-families/) - More than half a million more children will be able to receive a free nutritious meal every school day, following the Government’s expansion of free school meals.
- [Cutting-edge councils](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/cutting-edge-councils/) - The ever-popular Innovation Zone returns to conference
- [Digital switchover](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/parliament/digital-switchover-2/) - National telecare campaign launched to help residents
- [Dementia and delirium](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/dementia-and-delirium/) - Improving the effective hospital discharge of people into the community
- [LGA calls for 10-year sexual health strategy](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/lga-calls-for-10-year-sexual-health-strategy-2/) - Consultations at sexual health clinics reached 4.5 million last year – up from 2.9 million in 2013 – according to latest figures from the UK Health Security Agency.
- [Warning on stockpiling disposable vapes](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/warning-on-stockpiling-disposable-vapes/) - The LGA has warned vapers of the potential dangers of stockpiling disposable vapes following the 1 June ban.
- [CIL refunds: treating people fairly](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/cil-refunds-treating-people-fairly/) - In 2015, the Community Infrastructure Levy (CIL) was introduced.
- [Supporting those who need it most](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/supporting-those-who-need-it-most/) - The Spending Review marked a new phase for our Labour Government – focusing on investing in Britain’s future to ensure working people benefit from our stabilising, growing economy.
- [Delivering services in rural areas](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/delivering-services-in-rural-areas/) - The LGA has responded to the Government’s Spending Review, and further analysis is in progress.
- [Social care left high and dry by SR25](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/social-care-left-high-and-dry-by-sr25/) - This Spending Review was a missed opportunity to draw a line under the damage experienced by our public services; among other issues, it left social care teetering on the edge.
- [Developing future leaders](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/developing-future-leaders/) - Solving real-life challenges for councils.
- [Devolution must strengthen police accountability](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/devolution-must-strengthen-police-accountability/) - The Government has big plans for more devolution in England, to empower local decision-making on behalf of communities.
- [AI ‘won’t fix councils’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/ai-wont-fix-councils/) - I read ‘Unlocking the potential’ (first 702) looking for some indication of what artificial intelligence (AI) might offer local authorities and, unfortunately, found only platitudes diverting us from the real challenges facing councils and the country.
- [A new multi-party system](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/a-new-multi-party-system-3/) - The council elections on 1 May opened a fissure in the pattern of local government in England.
- [Local elections and leadership hustings](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/local-elections-and-leadership-hustings/) - Congratulations to all our members standing up for our communities and succeeding in the local elections.
- [Core funding increase needed in SR](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/creating-a-strong-sense-of-place/) - Local councils are at the forefront of transforming their places for the better.
- [From devo to delivery](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/lga-chairman/from-devo-to-delivery/) - Following the 1 May local elections, I want to recognise and send my personal commiserations to colleagues across the political spectrum who were unsuccessful at the ballot box.
- [Maintaining our highways](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/maintaining-our-highways/) - New councillor guide on maximising the value of investment.
- [Managing cyber incidents](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/managing-cyber-incidents/) - Working with elected members is vital, says new LGA guidance.
- [An ordinary home](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/an-ordinary-home/) - Mainstream housing for people with a learning disability.
- [Tackling recruitment challenges](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/tackling-recruitment-challenges/) - Evaluation shows national campaign is making a difference.
- [Local oversight of education](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/parliament/local-oversight-of-education/) - The LGA’s lobbying has secured significant changes to draft legislation.
- [Change of control](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/change-of-control/) - Help is available with changes in political leadership.
- [Closing the gap](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/closing-the-gap/) - Councils have the solutions to national problems.
- [Technology partnership to champion digital innovation](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/technology-partnership-to-champion-digital-innovation/) - The LGA has signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with techUK, the technology trade association, to help advance digital transformation across local government.
- [A broad church](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/a-broad-church-2/) - In the aftermath of the local elections – perhaps the most consequential in recent history – the County Councils Network’s (CCN) political proportionality has changed.
- [Welcome to local government](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/welcome-to-local-government/) - The LGA provides a wide range of support for newly elected members.
- [Investment and infrastructure](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/investment-and-infrastructure/) - Partnerships are key to helping communities thrive
- [ISG’s collapse and the road to recovery](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/advertorial/isgs-collapse-and-the-road-to-recovery/) - Within 100 days of the collapse of construction giant, ISG, Alliance Leisure had every affected project back on track. Alliance Leisure’s Managing Director, Paul Cluett, reflects on how it navigated the challenges, the lessons learned and the power of relationships and collaboration.
- [New political group for LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/new-political-group-for-lga/) - Reform UK is to set up the first new political group office at the LGA in the organisation’s history, after the party’s success in the 1 May local elections.
- [Adult social care ‘must be SR priority’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/adult-social-care-must-be-sr-priority/) - Ahead of the Spending Review on 11 June, the LGA has spearheaded a joint statement with 100 other leaders in adult social care, calling on Chancellor Rachel Reeves to work with the sector to mitigate pressures on councils, providers and charities.
- [£50m for veterans](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/50m-for-veterans/) - The Government has announced a new support system for Armed Forces veterans, called VALOUR.
- [Rollout of world’s first gonorrhoea vaccine](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/rollout-of-worlds-first-gonorrhoea-vaccine/) - The NHS and local government are to roll out the world’s first vaccine programme to prevent gonorrhoea.
- [Tributes paid following Oxfordshire fire deaths](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/tributes-paid-following-oxfordshire-fire-deaths/) - The LGA has paid tribute to two firefighters and a member of the public who died in a fire at an Oxfordshire business park.
- [New homes to get solar panels](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/new-homes-to-get-solar-panels/) - Almost all new homes in England are to be fitted with solar panels during construction within two years, under plans being drawn up by the Government.
- [Waste tax ‘will cost councils billions’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/waste-tax-will-cost-councils-billions/) - A planned tax on burning waste could place billions of pounds of unavoidable costs on councils and needs reform, the LGA has said.
- [‘Complex needs driving high care costs’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/complex-needs-driving-high-care-costs/) - A failure to support children and young people with complex needs is driving very high care costs and not improving children’s lives, according to a new report commissioned by the LGA.
- [Local democracy: a constant in an uncertain world](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/local-democracy-a-constant-in-an-uncertain-world-2/) - As we look ahead to welcoming delegates to the Welsh Local Government Association’s (WLGA) annual conference in Llandudno in a few weeks, it is impossible to ignore the parlous state of democracy.
- [Research on regional inequalities](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/research-on-regional-inequalities/) - The Local Policy Innovation Partnership (LPIP) project is a significant initiative aimed at addressing regional inequalities and fostering sustainable growth through research, innovation and partnership.
- [Importance of speaking as one voice](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/importance-of-speaking-as-one-voice/) - The local elections were a bruising and depressing night for the Conservative Group. One by one, we lost incredibly good, hard-working colleagues who lost through no fault of their own.
- [Some stunning local election results](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/some-stunning-local-election-results/) - As the dust settles on the 1 May local elections, the work continues at the LGA’s Liberal Democrat Group – including supporting Lib Dem groups facing changed circumstances following their elections.
- [A new multi-party system](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/a-new-multi-party-system/) - The council elections on 1 May opened a fissure in the pattern of local government in England.
- [Member relationship ‘central’ to LGA business plan](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/member-relationship-central-to-lga-business-plan/) - The LGA has set out its blueprint for serving a changing local government sector, with a central focus on maintaining and developing its relationship with member councils.
- [Empowering growth](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/empowering-growth/) - Could your amazing apprentice be crowned champion?
- [Safeguarding children](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/safeguarding-children/) - All councillors have a role to play.
- [Critical friends](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/critical-friends/) - Supporting councils’ assurance and improvement.
- [A strategy for a fairer future](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/a-strategy-for-a-fairer-future/) - Driving progress on public health.
- [More candidates contesting vacancies](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/more-candidates-contesting-vacancies/) - Recent by-elections show a trend towards higher candidate numbers: almost half the contests last year had five or more candidates on the ballot.
- [Acting on climate change](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/acting-on-climate-change-2/) - The LGA is consulting on a new duty for councils.
- [A blueprint for electoral reform](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/a-blueprint-for-electoral-reform/) - As the first set of scheduled polls since the 2024 general election, the 1 May local elections are a move back to electoral ‘business as usual’. We strongly believe now is the time to improve that business for everyone involved.
- [An opportunity to shake things up](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/an-opportunity-to-shake-things-up/) - Last month’s District Councils’ Network Annual Conference took place, of course, at a time of local government reorganisation, which is set to lead to the abolition of every district council.
- [Reforming the planning system](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/reforming-the-planning-system/) - Councillors play a vital role in reflecting local needs.
- [May Day: local and mayoral elections preview](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/may-day-local-and-mayoral-elections-preview/) - Many of the Conservative councillors who face re-election on 1 May have benefited from events.
- [Sector-led improvement](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/sector-led-improvement-2/) - The LGA has launched its 2025/26 support programme.
- [Improvement support for councils](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/miscellaneous/improvement-support-for-councils/)
- [‘1,700 children’s social care referrals a day’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/1700-childrens-social-care-referrals-a-day/) - The LGA is leading calls for adequate long-term funding for children’s social care in the Spending Review, due on 11 June.
- [Time to end ‘sticking plaster’ funding for councils, says LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/time-to-end-sticking-plaster-funding-for-councils-says-lga/) - Nearly 75 per cent of responding councils anticipate significant challenges in setting a balanced budget for the 2025/26 financial year, according to an LGA survey.
- [Record number of children in temporary accommodation](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/record-number-of-children-in-temporary-accommodation/) - More than 164,000 children in England are currently living in temporary accommodation – the highest figure on record.
- [Reforms and more funding for audit](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/reforms-and-more-funding-for-audit/) - The Government will provide funding to councils to cover the costs of additional audit fees, with a first tranche of £49 million for qualifying local authorities in 2025/26.
- [Cladding remediation ‘too slow’ – MPs](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/cladding-remediation-too-slow-mps/) - Eight years on from the Grenfell fire that claimed 72 lives, it is still not known how many buildings have unsafe cladding and when it will be removed, according to MPs.
- [New empty homes toolkit for officers](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/new-empty-homes-toolkit-for-officers/) - The LGA has released a new Empty Homes Officer Toolkit to help councils take practical, effective steps to tackle long-term empty homes in their area.
- [‘No future for NHS dentistry without reform’ – MPs](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/no-future-for-nhs-dentistry-without-reform-mps/) - NHS dentistry in England is “broken”, with fewer patients seen since the introduction of a dental recovery plan last year, according to a report from the Commons’ Public Accounts Committee.
- [£2bn confirmed for affordable housing](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/2bn-confirmed-for-affordable-housing/) - A £2 billion investment into the Affordable Homes Programme (AHP) will help deliver up to 18,000 new social and affordable homes in England, according to ministers.
- [Call for better support for armed forces](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/call-for-better-support-for-armed-forces/) - The Armed Forces Covenant is being inconsistently applied in different areas of the country and when military personnel move into a new area, according to MPs.
- [Digital adult care training plans announced](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/digital-adult-care-training-plans-announced/) - Government plans to move adult social care services from ‘analogue to digital’ will not on their own provide the changes the sector needs, the LGA has warned.
- [Care to connect](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/care-to-connect/) - Safeguarding vulnerable residents in the digital switchover.
- [School transport project tackles budget pressures](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/school-transport-project-tackles-budget-pressures/) - One of the biggest budget pressures on upper-tier councils today is home-to-school transport.
- [Improving young people’s wellbeing](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/improving-young-peoples-wellbeing/) - #BeeWell is a youth-centred programme that exists to improve the wellbeing of young people across England.
- [Strengthening partnership working in children’s social care](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/strengthening-partnership-working-in-childrens-social-care/) - The Department for Education’s Families First for Children Pathfinder (FFCP) programme is designed to test ways to reform the children’s social care system.
- [Embedding health into planning](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/embedding-health-into-planning/) - The places in which we live, work and socialise have a profound impact on our health. From access to green space and active travel, to the quality of housing and community infrastructure, the built environment plays a crucial role in shaping our wellbeing.
- [Performing arts for young people in care](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/performing-arts-for-young-people-in-care/) - There’s something extraordinary about the performing arts that is hard to find in any other discipline.
- [Challenges and opportunities](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/lga-chairman/challenges-and-opportunities/) - With less than a week to go until the 1 May local elections in England, I wanted to put on record my thanks to all those colleagues who are standing for re-election or standing down.
- [The best start in life](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/the-best-start-in-life-2/) - Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson’s welcome announcement of the first 300 new school-based nurseries responds to a manifesto commitment and a pressing need – ensuring children get the best start in life. This deeply resonates with local leaders.
- [The biggest power grab in decades](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/the-biggest-power-grab-in-decades/) - The Government’s Planning and Infrastructure Bill will do little to get spades in the ground and increase England’s housing supply.
- [Auto enrol children for free school meals](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/auto-enrol-children-for-free-school-meals/) - I was delighted to see that another Liberal Democrat-led council’s scheme helping more than 2,400 children receive a free school meal has been made permanent.
- [People need a healthy home and environment](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/people-need-a-healthy-home-and-environment/) - With the Planning and Infrastructure Bill in its committee stage, we have to counter the myth that there is the economy or the environment.
- [60 seconds with… Councillor Brian Williams](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/interview/60-seconds-with-councillor-brian-williams/) - Councillor Brian Williams (Con) is standing down on 1 May, aged 90, having served on six councils since 1960. He is currently Vice Chairman of Shropshire Council and Chair of its Audit Committee.
- [Promoting gender equality](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/promoting-gender-equality/) - The LGA’s Be a Councillor campaign provides specific support for women.
- [A culture of success](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/a-culture-of-success/) - In January, North Tyneside’s Children’s Services were graded outstanding in all areas.
- [Electoral momentum](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/electoral-momentum/) - Reform UK’s electoral momentum continues with another five gains (three from Labour, two from Conservative), bringing its total to 13 since the general election.
- [Spending Review 2025](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/spending-review-2025/) - Councils need more funding to provide vital local services
- [Support for those who serve](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/parliament/support-for-those-who-serve/) - Consistent guidance is needed on the Armed Forces Covenant
- [Principles of funding reform](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/principles-of-funding-reform/) - A review of local government finance is long overdue
- [Good conduct](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/good-conduct/) - The LGA has responded to a consultation on councillor standards
- [Local leadership](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/local-leadership-2/) - Councils are key to combined authorities
- [Demystifying AI](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/demystifying-ai/) - The LGA’s new ‘AI Unpacked’ video series sets out to make AI easier for local councils to understand.
- [Improving councillor diversity](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/improving-councillor-diversity/) - Councils have an important role to play in promoting local democracy and participation, and culture change and community outreach can make a difference.
- [A strategic approach](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/a-strategic-approach/) - We are publishing a new strategy to guide the LGA’s work over the next few years, as well as an accompanying financial plan.
- [A sustainable future for Welsh local government](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/a-sustainable-future-for-welsh-local-government/) - Councils are the foundation of our communities. From providing social care and housing to maintaining roads and parks, they play an essential role in daily life. However, as demands on local services grow, we must consider what it is local government needs to remain sustainable for the future.
- [A vision for future growth](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/a-vision-for-future-growth/) - This year’s Convention of the North provided a landmark moment for leaders, industry and policymakers in the region to come together as one and set out the North’s vision for future growth.
- [Innovation is the only choice](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/innovation-is-the-only-choice/) - Tight budgets still threaten the public sector, demand still grows for our services. We are sick of saying ‘we need to do more with less’, but, sadly, it is still true.
- [Councils ‘face £8bn funding gap’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/councils-face-8bn-funding-gap/) - Councils in England should be a major driver to boost local growth over the coming years, but could face a funding gap of more than £8 billion by 2028/29 without adequate funding, the LGA has warned.
- [Planning and infrastructure bill published](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/planning-and-infrastructure-bill-published/) - Planning fees will be localised and it will be easier for councils to purchase vacant land for house building, under proposals in the new Planning and Infrastructure Bill.
- [Government accepts Grenfell recommendations](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/government-accepts-grenfell-recommendations/) - Tough new rules on construction product safety, a new single construction regulator, and stronger protections for social housing tenants are among the building and fire safety reforms set out by the Government in its response to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry.
- [More than 1.4 million homes ‘left unbuilt’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/more-than-1-4-million-homes-left-unbuilt/) - More than 1.4 million homes with planning permission have been left unbuilt by developers since 2007, according to a report from the Institute for Public Policy Research thinktank.
- [Councils ‘critical to digital inclusion’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/councils-critical-to-digital-inclusion/) - Millions of people are set to gain greater digital skills and get online, in a plan to tackle exclusion and boost economic growth.
- [Young voices](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/young-voices/) - As any councillor knows, making sure we consider the views of all our residents is essential to shaping the future of our areas.
- [Holding each other to account](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/holding-each-other-to-account/) - Elected from within their local communities, and tasked with making decisions that affect the whole community, it is right that councillors are held accountable for their conduct and integrity while fulfilling their role.
- [One of the hardest budgets to set](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/one-of-the-hardest-budgets-to-set/) - I have been a councillor since 2002 and this has been one of the most challenging budget processes I have been through. Why, one might ask?
- [Delivering on 1.5m new homes](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/delivering-on-1-5m-new-homes/) - The Government continues to deliver on its flagship commitment to construct 1.5 million new homes within this Parliament, having set out to bolster resources, streamline decision-making and promote local growth with an expansive package of housing interventions that will empower local areas and accelerate delivery of high-quality homes.
- [Planning reforms – the good, the bad and the ugly](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/planning-reforms-the-good-the-bad-and-the-ugly/) - I had got my hopes up that we had moved away from government diktats and demonising of councils, but the language being used around the Government’s proposed planning reforms is just that.
- [Empowering councils to thrive](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/empowering-councils-to-thrive/) - Local government is the beating heart of our communities. It is the councillor knocking on doors, the staff working tirelessly behind the scenes and the many services that shape the day-to-day lives of people across the country.
- [Early years reform guidance published](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/early-years-reform-guidance-published/) - The Government has published updated guidance supporting councils to ensure childcare providers make all additional charges clear and upfront to parents.
- [£76m gap in temporary accommodation budgets](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/76m-gap-in-temporary-accommodation-budgets/) - Changes in the allocation of the Homelessness Prevention Grant mean that councils are facing a £76 million shortfall in their temporary accommodation budgets, the LGA has warned.
- [‘Free’ bus passes costing councils £452m](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/free-bus-passes-costing-councils-452m/) - Councils had to spend nearly half a billion pounds last year to plug a shortfall in funding for free bus passes.
- [Social housing finances ‘impacting housebuilding’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/social-housing-finances-impacting-housebuilding/) - The financial strain on social housing across England could lead to government housebuilding targets not being met, according to a new LGA survey.
- [Local government finances becoming ‘unsustainable’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/local-government-finances-becoming-unsustainable/) - Council finances in England are becoming unsustainable because of increasing demand on essential frontline services, the impact of delayed finance reform, and the erosion of investment in preventative programmes.
- [Half of councils warn of insolvency over SEND](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/half-of-councils-warn-of-insolvency-over-send/) - More than half of councils in England that support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) will become insolvent when a temporary accounting measure that keeps SEND-related deficits off their main balance sheets ends next year.
- [Creative industries ‘need more support’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/creative-industries-need-more-support/) - The Government should consider providing further support for business advice services delivered by council libraries, in response to a call for bespoke finance support for small creative organisations, the LGA has said.
- [Why protecting access to cash matters](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/why-protecting-access-to-cash-matters/) - In today’s digital age, it’s easy to assume that cash is becoming obsolete. But around five million people in the UK are still reliant on cash. Many others use digital payments, but continue to depend on cash for certain purchases.
- [Health inequalities: closing the gap](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/miscellaneous/health-inequalities-closing-the-gap/)
- [Pathways to planning](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/pathways-to-planning/) - Councils can sign up to hire planners to start work in September 2025, via the LGA’s ‘Pathways to Planning’ graduate scheme.
- [Funding for UAS children](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/funding-for-uas-children/) - The Home Office has ended key funding incentives for councils receiving unaccompanied asylum-seeking (UAS) children through the National Transfer Scheme.
- [Local growth](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/local-growth/) - National economic growth can only be achieved if every local economy is firing on all cylinders.
- [Solar on roofs, not farmland](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/solar-on-roofs-not-farmland/) - As global unrest and increasing tariffs unfold, I am very concerned about the threat to our farmland from the drive to install outdated solar panels.
- [Ensuring no child goes hungry](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/ensuring-no-child-goes-hungry/) - Central and local government need to work together to build a healthier and fairer society.
- [Drip-feed funding ‘weakening’ services](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/drip-feed-funding-weakening-services/) - While February’s final local government finance settlement confirmed a 6.8 per cent cash increase and extra money towards increased employer National Insurance contributions, councils’ finances remain extremely challenging.
- [Climate change and flood risk](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/climate-change-and-flood-risk/) - Understanding flood and coastal erosion risk is vital to ensuring that policymakers, practitioners and communities are ready to adapt to a changing climate.
- [Collaborating with our peers](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/collaborating-with-our-peers/) - I joined Tamworth Borough Council as Chief Executive just 10 months ago, in April 2024. At first, I was very much in fact-finding mode; I saw fantastic things, but also things we could do better.
- [Support for affordable housing clearing service](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/support-for-affordable-housing-clearing-service/) - Nearly 250 local authorities and registered providers have signed up to the Section 106 Affordable Housing Clearing Service since we launched it in late 2024, with the help of sector partners. They join 80 housebuilders, and counting.
- [Young minds in crisis](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/young-minds-in-crisis/) - New recommendations for improving children’s mental health.
- [Opportunities and challenges](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/opportunities-and-challenges/) - Reshaping the future of fire services.
- [Apprenticeships key to recruitment crisis](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/apprenticeships-key-to-recruitment-crisis/) - The right changes could help councils ‘grow their own’ workforce.
- [Violence against women ‘significant and growing’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/violence-against-women-significant-and-growing/) - Violence against women and girls remains a “significant and growing problem”, affecting one in 12 women in England and Wales and causing significant physical, mental, social and financial harm to survivors.
- [‘Trillion-pound’ cost of children’s mental health](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/trillion-pound-cost-of-childrens-mental-health-2/) - New research has warned the mental health crisis facing children and young people will prevent the Government from boosting economic growth, as well as having an impact on the lives of thousands of young people.
- [Democracy is about more than efficiencies](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/democracy-is-about-more-than-efficiencies/) - By-elections were thin on the ground in January, with attention in the local government community focused instead on the structural reforms proposed in the recent English Devolution White Paper, and the consequent postponement of some of this year’s scheduled county council elections.
- [Unlocking the potential](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/unlocking-the-potential/) - AI can revolutionise local government and drive growth.
- [Localising employment support](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/localising-employment-support/) - Transforming job centres from the country’s ‘most unloved public service’ into places where people can receive quality career support is a key ambition for me.
- [Marmot places](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/marmot-places/) - Councils are leading transformative work on health inequalities.
- [The best devo deal for communities](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/the-best-devo-deal-for-communities/) - The LGA continues to represent all councils in talks on reforms.
- [Right to Buy reforms ‘should go further’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/right-to-buy-reforms-should-go-further/) - The Government should go further with reforming Right to Buy to give local authorities more flexibility and control over how the scheme operates locally, the LGA has said.
- [Funding for NICs confirmed](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/funding-for-nics-confirmed/) - Overall funding for local government in England will increase by 6.8 per cent in cash terms compared with 2024/25, according to the final finance settlement, published in early February.
- [Government announces priority devolution deals](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/government-announces-priority-devolution-deals/) - Elections to eight English councils, due to take place this May, will be postponed until 2026 to help pave the way for six new devolution deals.
- [LGA calls for national strategy on health inequalities](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/lga-calls-for-national-strategy-on-health-inequalities/) - The Government is being urged to introduce a national health inequalities strategy to tackle England’s widening health gap, in a new report from the LGA.
- [Retaining the ‘local’ in local government](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/retaining-the-local-in-local-government/) - As we continue to discuss devolution and the reorganisation of local government following the publication of the English Devolution White Paper, the one question councillors need to have on their minds is: how does this benefit my community?
- [Working together locally and nationally](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/working-together-locally-and-nationally/) - For the first time in 15 years, Labour councillors from around the country came together at the Labour Local Government Conference under a Labour Government.
- [Education reforms](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/education-reforms/) - Ensuring safe and high-quality schooling for all children.
- [LGA: ‘Invest in local digital transformation’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/lga-invest-in-local-digital-transformation/) - The LGA has reiterated its call for a Local Government Centre for Digital Technology, in response to announcements on digital services and artificial intelligence (AI).
- [‘Unsustainable’ pressure from homelessness](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/unsustainable-pressure-from-homelessness/) - Record homelessness levels are placing unsustainable pressure on local authorities, the Commons’ Public Accounts Committee has warned.
- [Ofsted proposes fairer education inspections](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/ofsted-proposes-fairer-education-inspections-2/) - Ofsted has announced proposals for fairer education inspections and new, more detailed report cards.
- [Soaring demand for health visitors – survey](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/soaring-demand-for-health-visitors-survey/) - A survey by the Institute of Health Visiting has found an increase in complex needs among families, alongside a severe shortage of health visitors and significant disparities in service provision.
- [Public health grant increased](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/public-health-grant-increased/) - The Government has announced an increase in the public health grant for English councils in 2025/26, to £3.858 billion – a cash uplift of 5.4 per cent, or nearly £200 million, and a real-term increase of 3 per cent.
- [Helping working-age people be councillors](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/helping-working-age-people-be-councillors/) - The LGA has published new guidance for employees and employers.
- [Reforming sentencing](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/reforming-sentencing/) - A path to justice and rehabilitation.
- [Buying into procurement reform](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/buying-into-procurement-reform/) - The Procurement Act 2023 will go live on 24 February. Now is the time for councils and their elected members to understand what the act means for them.
- [Lacking democratic accountability](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/lacking-democratic-accountability/) - The LGA Independent Group’s annual conference discussed devolution.
- [A more equal partnership](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/a-more-equal-partnership/) - Maximising the impact of the LGA’s policy lobbying.
- [SEND in state of emergency – MPs](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/send-in-state-of-emergency-mps/) - MPs have warned that a ‘lost generation’ of children could leave school without having received the help they need, with the LGA calling for a plan for reform.
- [Graduates who make an impact](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/graduates-who-make-an-impact/) - It’s not too late for councils to apply for new trainees.
- [Additional funding for councils ‘falls short’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/additional-funding-for-councils-falls-short/) - The UK Government has announced additional funding for councils in England, including towards the cost of increases in employers’ National lnsurance contributions – as called for by the LGA in December (see first 700).
- [Devolution looks like centralisation](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/devolution-looks-like-centralisation/) - Wishing you a healthy and successful 2025!
- [Empowering local decision-makers](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/empowering-local-decision-makers/) - Let me take the opportunity in this first first magazine of 2025 to wish all LGA member councils a very happy new year.
- [Reducing inequalities in early education](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/reducing-inequalities-in-early-education/) - Improving take-up of the early education entitlement among disadvantaged children is key to meeting the government target of 75 per cent of five-year-olds being ‘ready to learn’ by 2028.
- [In the zone](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/in-the-zone-2/) - Share your innovative ideas at the LGA’s annual conference.
- [A long-term housing strategy](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/a-long-term-housing-strategy/) - Councils need the tools to build the homes we need.
- [Building blocks](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/building-blocks/) - The Government has revised its planning policies for England.
- [Pathways to devolution](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/pathways-to-devolution/) - The LGA is increasing its support to its members.
- [National challenges ‘require local solutions’ – LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/national-challenges-require-local-solutions-lga/) - Councils are key to solving many of the national challenges highlighted by the Prime Minister in his ‘plan for change’, ‘launched in December, the LGA has said.
- [Extra £500m for local roads](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/extra-500m-for-local-roads/) - An extra half a billion pounds in annual local roads funding for councils has been pledged by the Government, from this April.
- [Housing ‘move on’ period extended](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/housing-move-on-period-extended/) - The Government has temporarily extended the ‘move on’ period – the time between an asylum seeker receiving a decision on their application and having to leave Home Office-funded accommodation – from 28 days to 56 days.
- [Part of the solution](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/part-of-the-solution/) - While eagerly awaiting the local government settlement at the end of 2024, Welsh councils were yet again called on to respond to widespread damage and disruption wrought by appalling weather conditions.
- [Casey to chair new adult social care commission](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/casey-to-chair-new-adult-social-care-commission/) - The Government is launching an adult social care commission to “build cross-party consensus” for its proposed new national care service.
- [Call for urgent reform of council funding](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/call-for-urgent-reform-of-council-funding/) - An outdated and complex funding model is hindering councils’ ability to plan effectively and meet the growing needs of their communities, according to a new report.
- [Get Britain working](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/get-britain-working/) - A government white paper envisages a place-based approach to employment and skills.
- [Making devolution work locally](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/making-devolution-work-locally/) - Councils should be close to their communities.
- [New registers for children not in school](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/new-registers-for-children-not-in-school/) - The Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, introduced to Parliament in December, includes plans for new registers to identify children who are not in school – something for which the LGA has lobbied for years.
- [Local government set mandatory housing targets](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/local-government-set-mandatory-housing-targets/) - Councils must meet new mandatory housing targets as part of government plans to build 1.5 million homes by the next general election.
- [Devolution ‘must not distract from funding’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/devolution-must-not-distract-from-funding/) - Two-tier council areas will be forced to reorganise if they don’t come up with their own plans under proposals set out in the Government’s English Devolution White Paper.
- [Addressing challenges](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/miscellaneous/addressing-challenges/) - The provisional finance settlement will shape the future of local services.
- [Honours for councillors and mayors](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/honours-for-councillors-and-mayors/) - More than 1,200 people from fields including local government, education, fire and rescue services, the police, health, and voluntary sector, and ranging from chief executives to foster carers, were recognised in the King’s New Year Honours List for 2025.
- [EV charge point rollout ‘on track’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/ev-charge-point-rollout-on-track/) - The number of public electric vehicle (EV) charge points is currently on course to meet the minimum 300,000 needed across the UK by 2030, but challenges remain on locations, accessibility and wider barriers such as planning rules.
- [CMO: action needed on health in cities](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/cmo-action-needed-on-health-in-cities/) - Chief Medical Officer Professor Sir Chris Whitty’s annual report has set out a series of recommendations to address health in cities, particularly for people living in areas of deprivation.
- [Taking the lead](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/taking-the-lead/) - As we begin 2025, I want to reflect on a key event from the end of 2024 that will inform how we approach the next 12 months.
- [24,000 affordable homes lost to office conversions](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/miscellaneous/24000-affordable-homes-lost-to-office-conversions/) - Office-to-residential conversions under permitted development have led to the loss of 23,990 affordable homes in the past decade, according to LGA analysis of official data.
- [The importance of local government finance](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/the-importance-of-local-government-finance/) - LGA resources can help councillors ensure value for money.
- [Disengaged voters](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/disengaged-voters/) - The final by-elections of 2024 only served to emphasise what we have been pointing out for months – that the electorate appears both volatile and disengaged.
- [Low turnout ‘troubling’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/low-turnout-troubling/) - Thirteen by-elections followed the resignation of Labour councillors after being voted into Parliament, with a net loss of nine seats.
- [Local consensus needed on reorganisation](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/local-consensus-needed-on-reorganisation/) - I hope colleagues across local government had a good Christmas and I am sure everyone is back into the swing of things as we enter 2025.
- [Unitary debates and social care commissions](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/unitary-debates-and-social-care-commissions/) - It will be another busy year for local government in 2025.
- [Challenge and change](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/challenge-and-change-3/) - Local government’s resilience and agility will see us through 2025.
- [Bills before Parliament](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/parliament/bills-before-parliament/) - A look ahead to new laws affecting councils.
- [Devolve to councils as they are](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/devolve-to-councils-as-they-are/) - We are in tempestuous times, with UK Government announcements expected in a white paper on devolution, local government reform, and the provisional finance settlement – all in the week before Christmas.
- [Don’t lose the ‘local’ in local government](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/dont-lose-the-local-in-local-government/) - As first was going to press, we were awaiting a delayed white paper on devolution. The Government’s intentions may be to decentralise power, but I am concerned that some of its proposals will undermine local democracy, rather than empower it.
- [Investing in prevention](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/lga-chairman/investing-in-prevention/) - The Government’s finance policy statement, published in late November, outlined its intentions for the provisional local government finance settlement for 2025/26.
- [The power of accurate addressing](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/the-power-of-accurate-addressing/) - At the LGA’s annual conference in October, GeoPlace was joined by Nottingham City Council in the Innovation Zone, to demonstrate the immense value that data on addresses can bring to local government.
- [Rural prosperity requires fair funding](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/rural-prosperity-requires-fair-funding/) - Recent Budget announcements have left many in rural areas feeling overlooked.
- [Tackling frontline issues](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/tackling-frontline-issues/) - Ten officers are taking on the LGA’s latest Local Government Challenge.
- [Putting local government first](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/putting-local-government-first/) - The LGA’s membership magazine has clocked up 700 editions.
- [Act local, impact global](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/act-local-impact-global/) - The LGA has been promoting councils’ work on sustainability.
- [Changing lives](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/changing-lives/) - Investing in prevention is key to healthier communities.
- [Consultation on Right to Buy reforms](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/consultation-on-right-to-buy-reforms/) - Newly built social homes could be protected from sale through exemptions to the Right to Buy scheme, and tenants will have to wait longer before they can buy their homes, under reforms proposed by the Government.
- [Rising care costs for working-age adults](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/rising-care-costs-for-working-age-adults/) - The cost of care for working-age adults could reach £17 billion by 2030, according to a report from the County Councils Network.
- [Deadline set for cladding remediation](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/deadline-set-for-cladding-remediation/) - A 2029 deadline for removing dangerous cladding from tall buildings has been set by the Government, as part of a new Remediation Action Plan.
- [‘Place-based’ approach to employment](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/place-based-approach-to-employment/) - Local government is to be given nearly £300 million to develop new ways of tackling unemployment and inactivity, as part of the Get Britain Working White Paper.
- [Laying bare the financial challenges](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/laying-bare-the-financial-challenges/) - In November, we welcomed the great and the good of the local government world to Buckinghamshire, for the County Councils Network’s (CCN’s) Annual Conference 2024. We met in Marlow under dramatically different political circumstances compared with recent history. But while it is all change in the composition of MPs in the Commons, CCN’s approach to advocacy has not changed.
- [Protecting renters’ rights](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/parliament/protecting-renters-rights/) - New legislation will help reduce homelessness.
- [Love and fun](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/love-and-fun/) - The LGA has published its vision for children and young people.
- [Driving economic inclusion](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/driving-economic-inclusion/) - A new LGA report makes the case for council powers on transport.
- [13,000 children’s social workers needed – LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/13000-childrens-social-workers-needed-lga/) - The number of children’s social workers employed by councils will need to increase by 13,000 – nearly a third – over the next decade because of growing need and to reduce increasing reliance on agency staff.
- [Prevention in adult care ‘could save billions’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/prevention-in-adult-care-could-save-billions/) - Investing in preventative support in social care could significantly improve lives and save £3.17 for every £1 spent, according to a report from the LGA and sector leaders.
- [Adult social care ‘needs 10-year plan’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/adult-social-care-needs-10-year-plan/) - The Government needs to co-create a 10-year plan for adult social care for the upcoming NHS long-term plan to succeed, the LGA has said.
- [Addressing health inequalities to tackle STIs](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/addressing-health-inequalities-to-tackle-stis/) - The rise in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is a major and increasing public health concern.
- [Ministers don’t get it on National Insurance](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/ministers-dont-get-it-on-national-insurance/) - My preliminary discussions with council leaders over recent weeks, ahead of February budget setting, continually brings to bear the reality of the Labour Government’s seismic increase to employer National Insurance contributions.
- [Councils let down by funding system](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/councils-let-down-by-funding-system/) - The local government funding reforms announced on 28 November are welcome.
- [Improving educational outcomes for care leavers](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/improving-educational-outcomes-for-care-leavers-2/) - Young people with care backgrounds are a priority group for targeted support to increase their access to further and higher education.
- [Ofsted warns of ‘huge challenges’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/ofsted-warns-of-huge-challenges/) - While there are many reasons to be positive about the future of education and children’s social care, huge challenges remain.
- [Children’s social care reforms announced](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/childrens-social-care-reforms-announced/) - The Government is introducing new reforms to stop children’s home providers in England from making excessive profits, by requiring them to share financial information or face limits on their earnings.
- [£740m for SEND building adaptations](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/740m-for-send-building-adaptations/) - The Government has announced a £740 million funding package to increase the number of places for pupils with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) in England.
- [Better information sharing needed to tackle ASB](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/better-information-sharing-needed-to-tackle-asb/) - Incidents of antisocial behaviour (ASB) are taking longer to tackle because of inconsistent and insufficient information sharing between agencies, a new survey of councils has found.
- [Youth services ‘under threat’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/youth-services-under-threat/) - The LGA has warned that youth services are “under threat” without fresh investment in local grass-roots provision for young people.
- [Electoral lottery](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/electoral-lottery/) - Labour has lost a net 22 council seats in by-elections since July, with its average vote share in all such contests falling by more than 10 percentage points.
- [NHS reform](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/nhs-reform/) - Adult social care needs a 10-year plan too.
- [Government ‘must fund NIC increases’ – LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/government-must-fund-nic-increases-lga/) - Changes made to employer National Insurance contributions in October’s Budget must be fully funded in the forthcoming provisional local government finance settlement, the LGA has said.
- [£700m bill for temporary accommodation](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/700m-bill-for-temporary-accommodation/) - The freezing of local housing allowance (LHA) rates over the past five years has left councils picking up more than £700 million in costs that they are unable to claim back from government for housing people in temporary accommodation, according to LGA analysis of official data.
- [Welsh councils on cliff edge](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/welsh-councils-on-cliff-edge/) - Questions remain for Wales after Labour’s long-awaited UK Budget.
- [Caring for care leavers](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/caring-for-care-leavers-2/) - National Care Leavers’ Week finished earlier this month, with councils around the country lighting up civic buildings in blue in support and recognition of their care leavers.
- [LGA Annual Conference and Exhibition 2024](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/lga-annual-conference-and-exhibition-2024/) - It may have been delayed by the general election, but the LGA’s 2024 annual conference proved as exciting as ever, with more than 2,500 participants and dozens of influential speakers discussing the big issues facing local government.
- [Wrap it up](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/wrap-it-up/) - Producers must bear the costs of processing waste packaging.
- [A child-centred government](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/a-child-centred-government/) - ​​Children’s minister promises SEND reform.
- [Championing care leavers](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/championing-care-leavers/) - LGA publishes new good practice guidance.
- [National recruitment campaign launched](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/national-recruitment-campaign-launched/) - People wanting to work in local government and make a direct impact on local residents’ lives have the chance to find out more with the launch of a new national recruitment campaign.
- [‘Take control of devo agenda’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/take-control-of-devo-agenda/) - The LGA’s former Chairman and Conservative Peer Lord Gary Porter enjoyed sharing some ‘good’ gossip at the LGA’s annual conference.
- [First meeting of Leaders’ Council](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/first-meeting-of-leaders-council/) - The Government’s Leaders’ Council – bringing together local government leaders and ministers – met for the first time in October at the LGA’s annual conference in Harrogate.
- [DPM promises privacy on councillor addresses](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/dpm-promises-privacy-on-councillor-addresses/) - Changes to virtual attendance of meetings, privacy of councillors’ addresses, and standards for councillors were among the announcements from Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner at the LGA’s annual conference.
- [Budget 2024](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/budget-2024/) - Significant pressures remain despite funding increases for councils.
- [The best of local government](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/the-best-of-local-government/) - Sharing our passion for serving our communities.
- [Local government ‘still faces precarious future’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/local-government-still-faces-precarious-future/) - The Government has announced an extra £1.3 billion for councils in England next year – including £600 million for social care.
- [Cladding targets ‘may be missed’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/cladding-targets-may-be-missed/) - The Government may miss its 2035 target for removing unsafe cladding from buildings because of slow progress, a report from the National Audit Office (NAO) has revealed.
- [Volatile electorate](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/volatile-electorate/) - Electoral volatility continues unabated.
- [‘Devolve sugar tax to councils’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/devolve-sugar-tax-to-councils/) - The LGA has renewed calls for the soft drinks levy to be devolved to councils.
- [Local government backs ambitions for smoke-free generation](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/local-government-backs-ambitions-for-smoke-free-generation/) - The Government has introduced the Tobacco and Vapes Bill to Parliament, pledging to create a smoke-free generation, phasing out the sale of tobacco products to anyone aged 15 or younger this year.
- [Local government ‘remains on life support’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/local-government-remains-on-life-support/) - The first Labour Government Budget since 2009 has met with a mixed response among Liberal Democrats in local authorities.
- [A government that ‘gets it’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/a-government-that-gets-it/) - Like many local government leaders, I watched carefully the first Labour Budget in more than 14 years and the first Budget ever delivered by a woman.
- [Budget delivers extra bill for employers](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/budget-delivers-extra-bill-for-employers/) - It was fantastic to meet so many of you at the LGA’s annual conference, with a record number of Independent Group members attending.
- [Expect seismic increase in EHCPs](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/expect-seismic-increase-in-ehcps/) - The first Budget for any government is an opportunity to sell their agenda for the course of a Parliament.
- [SEND system ‘not financially sustainable’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/send-system-not-financially-sustainable/) - A report by the National Audit Office has found that England’s special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) system is not delivering better outcomes for children and young people.
- [Call for ‘real’ devolution](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/call-for-real-devolution/) - ‘Real’ devolution means ensuring local communities that choose not to be served by metro mayors have the same opportunities to thrive, delegates at the LGA’s annual conference were told.
- [Residents still facing hardship, warns charity](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/residents-still-facing-hardship-warns-charity/) - Some people have faced significant hardship over the past few years because of the cost-of-living crisis – and things are getting worse, according to Citizens Advice.
- [Inspiring conversations](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/inspiring-conversations/) - The LGA’s Innovation Zone was a hub of ideas.
- [Civility in public life](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/civility-in-public-life-2/) - New protections for councillors announced.
- [A baffling system](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/a-baffling-system/) - Updating the law to support disabled children.
- [A trusted network](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/a-trusted-network/) - Support programme for adult social care has helped every council in England.
- [Change NHS consultation](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/change-nhs-consultation/) - Highlighting councils’ vital role in improving the nation’s health.
- [Digitally equipped places](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/parliament/digitally-equipped-places/) - LGA supports new APPG for digital communities.
- [Local responses to global problems](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/local-responses-to-global-problems/) - Sargassum is a seaweed causing significant socio-environmental and economic issues in the Eastern Caribbean Islands (EC), Mexico and parts of the USA.
- [Committed to serving our communities](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/committed-to-serving-our-communities/) - As I reminded my party’s conference in September, there were local elections this May – as well as the amazing general election results, where a record 72 Lib Dem MPs were returned.
- [‘Exempt care leavers from council tax’ – LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/exempt-care-leavers-from-council-tax-lga/) - The LGA is calling on the Government to fund a national council tax exemption for care leavers up to the age of 25.
- [Councils overspending on adult social care](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/councils-overspending-on-adult-social-care/) - Around 81 per cent of councils expect to overspend their adult social care budgets this year – up from 72 per cent last year, according to the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services (ADASS).
- [Falling smoking rates ‘testament’ to councils’ efforts](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/falling-smoking-rates-testament-to-councils-efforts/) - New figures show that around six million people aged 18 and over (11.9 per cent) smoked cigarettes in the UK in 2023 – the lowest proportion of current smokers since records began in 2011.
- [‘Empower local authorities to deliver more homes’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/empower-local-authorities-to-deliver-more-homes/) - Making housebuilding targets mandatory centralises policy and weakens local decision-making powers, the LGA has warned in response to proposed planning reforms.
- [Empowering self-build and housing diversity](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/empowering-self-build-and-housing-diversity/) - Councillor John O’Neill (Lib Dem) is Cabinet Member for Adults and Homes at South Gloucestershire Council.
- [Enabling residents to build their own homes](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/enabling-residents-to-build-their-own-homes/) - In 2015, Fareham Borough Council recognised the newly introduced self and custom-build legislation as an exciting opportunity to diversify local housing and promote home ownership and were eager to integrate these housing options into the community.
- [New renters’ protection plan announced](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/new-renters-protection-plan-announced/) - The Deputy Prime Minister, Angela Rayner, has announced a series of measures to protect renters and improve housing standards.
- [LGA calls for 10-year sexual health strategy](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/lga-calls-for-10-year-sexual-health-strategy/) - The number of heterosexual men and women newly diagnosed in England with HIV has risen by more than 30 per cent since 2022, according to the latest HIV surveillance data from the UK Health Security Agency.
- [Incineration tax cost fears](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/incineration-tax-cost-fears/) - A new eco ‘incineration tax’ risks pushing councils to the brink, the LGA has warned.
- [Creating place-based change](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/creating-place-based-change/) - ​​The LGA has published new guidance on a ‘systems’ approach to change.
- [Holding government to account](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/parliament/holding-government-to-account/) - Working with select committees.
- [Health prevention ‘is not a luxury’ – LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/health-prevention-is-not-a-luxury-lga/) - Better targeting of existing money spent on health prevention could deliver an extra £11 billion annual return on investment, according to the NHS Confederation.
- [Demand rising for public health funerals](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/demand-rising-for-public-health-funerals/) - More than 12 public health funerals (PHFs) are taking place every day around the country, according to new LGA research.
- [Building momentum for rural prosperity](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/building-momentum-for-rural-prosperity/) - This year’s National Rural Conference, hosted last month by the Rural Services Network (RSN), served as a pivotal gathering for around 650 delegates from more than 130 organisations, representing a diverse range of sectors. It provided a unique opportunity for policymakers, community leaders and industry experts to collaborate on the most pressing rural issues.
- [Diversifying leadership](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/diversifying-leadership/) - The LGA’s BAME leadership programme is celebrating its 20th birthday as councils across the country mark Black History Month.
- [‘Boost local growth by extending UKSPF’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/boost-local-growth-by-extending-ukspf/) - Vital funding used to boost inclusive economic growth should be extended by a year to avoid a cliff edge in support for local projects, the LGA has urged.
- [Supported housing ‘could save millions’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/supported-housing-could-save-millions/) - Providing supported housing for older people and those with learning disabilities or mental health needs could lead to major savings for the public sector, the LGA has said.
- [Budgeting for prevention](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/budgeting-for-prevention/) - Further reductions in council spending would be disastrous.
- [LGA calls for emergency funding for vulnerable children](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/lga-calls-for-emergency-funding-for-vulnerable-children/) - Child protection investigations have hit a record high, with numbers amounting to more than 600 a day on average, the LGA has warned.
- [Councils warn against funding reductions](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/councils-warn-against-funding-reductions/) - Further reductions to council funding would be “disastrous”, the LGA has warned in a letter to Chancellor Rachel Reeves ahead of her first Budget on 30 October.
- [Making a difference](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/making-a-difference-3/) - Helping councils innovate for the future.
- [The art of the economically possible](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/the-art-of-the-economically-possible/) - Our Labour Government has the unenviable task of balancing what it would wish to do with what is economically possible.
- [Local government is the pillar of our party](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/local-government-is-the-pillar-of-our-party/) - Conservative Party conference this year demonstrated that the Conservative local government family is now the dominant pillar of our party.
- [Keeping democracy near to residents](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/keeping-democracy-near-to-residents/) - We will shortly be gathering for the ‘Glastonbury of local government’, the LGA’s annual conference in Harrogate.
- [7.7m households ‘in fuel stress’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/7-7m-households-in-fuel-stress/) - There are 7.7 million households in England at risk of fuel stress this winter, including the majority of families with children, new research has found.
- [Social care workforce ‘at breaking point’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/social-care-workforce-at-breaking-point/) - The LGA has called for “immediate and decisive” action to tackle the adult social care workforce crisis, as a new report reveals huge challenges in recruiting and retaining staff.
- [A regional focus](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/a-regional-focus/) - Visiting local authorities to find out about the amazing work you are doing on behalf of your residents is one of the most enjoyable, but also humbling, parts of my role as Chair of the LGA.
- [High impact](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/high-impact/) - Helping councils recruit local graduate talent.
- [Positive engagement](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/positive-engagement/) - Conservative local government provides a bedrock of support.
- [Planning for the future](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/planning-for-the-future-5/) - Hundreds of councillors attended Labour’s annual conference.
- [Agents for change](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/agents-for-change/) - Liberal Democrats commit to a stronger voice for councils in Westminster.
- [Children in temporary accommodation](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/children-in-temporary-accommodation/) - The number of households with children living in temporary accommodation in England for at least five years has risen by almost a quarter.
- [Reducing health inequalities](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/reducing-health-inequalities/) - Adding extra years to life and extra life to those years.
- [Unlocking innovation in local government](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/unlocking-innovation-in-local-government/) - The LGA’s ‘ideas hub’ is back!
- [UK Leisure Framework update - Advertorial](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/miscellaneous/uk-leisure-framework-update/) - As it completes its fourth year, Jamie Groves, MD of Denbighshire Leisure, and Sarah Watts, CEO of Alliance Leisure, look at the impact of the UK’s first dedicated leisure development framework.
- [Equality, civility and cohesion](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/equality-civility-and-cohesion/) - Welcome to all our MPs, ministers and valued members.
- [The true party of local government](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/the-true-party-of-local-government/) - As this first hits your doormats, Liberal Democrats will be making their annual pilgrimage to the south coast for five days of policy and politics.
- [Prevention is better than cure](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/prevention-is-better-than-cure/) - The Household Support Fund was a lifeline to councils and their communities when it was first introduced in October 2021.
- [Investing in care leavers](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/investing-in-care-leavers/) - As we prepare to celebrate National Care Leavers’ Week 2024 in October, it’s vital to recognise the strength and potential of young people transitioning from our care.
- [Transforming services](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/transforming-services-2/) - The LGA is expanding its support for councillors involved in change programmes.
- [Crucial support at a critical time](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/crucial-support-at-a-critical-time/) - Improvement programme delivers high-impact, low-cost support .
- [Cross-party governance](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/miscellaneous/cross-party-governance/) - Elected members provide strategic direction to the LGA.
- [LG Challenge winner announced](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/lg-challenge-winner-announced/) - Islington Council’s Faith Scott Deuchar has won the LGA’s Local Government Challenge 2024, with a project seeking to understand why some families disengage from early help services.
- [New unit ‘needed to tackle abuse’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/new-unit-needed-to-tackle-abuse/) - The Government should establish a permanent central unit to deal with abuse and threats against councillors and make them safer when performing their elected roles, the LGA has said.
- [Warning on free childcare places](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/warning-on-free-childcare-places/) - A quarter of councils are ‘not very confident’ that they will have enough spaces for this September’s rollout of free childcare, according to an LGA report.
- [LGA calls for men’s health strategy](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/lga-calls-for-mens-health-strategy/) - Men in England are facing “a silent health crisis”, dying nearly four years earlier than women, while suffering disproportionately higher rates of cancers, heart disease and type 2 diabetes.
- [Party priorities](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/party-priorities/) - The LGA will be working to secure the future of local services at this autumn’s party conferences.
- [Grenfell Inquiry publishes final report](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/grenfell-inquiry-publishes-final-report/) - Campaigners and survivor groups called for police to accelerate the criminal investigation into the Grenfell Tower fire after a report found that companies operated with “systematic dishonesty” and that all 72 deaths were avoidable.
- [Local government needs more equal relationship](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/local-government-needs-more-equal-relationship/) - All politics is local and that is precisely the message the LGA Conservative Group has been getting across to the candidates in the Conservative leadership election.
- [Looking forward to conference](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/looking-forward-to-conference/) - Since the new Labour Government was elected in July, no time has been wasted in taking decisive action to put local government on a stronger footing to support delivery of the Government’s missions.
- [Digital care](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/digital-care/) - Councils can get help with improving their digital social care provision.
- [Making a difference](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/making-a-difference-2/) - The LGA is launching a national recruitment campaign for local government.
- [Celebrating young leaders](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/celebrating-young-leaders/) - This year’s International Youth Day theme – ‘From clicks to progress: youth digital pathways for sustainable development’ – highlighted the opportunities for young people to bring their lived experience to creating positive outcomes for communities.
- [Voter volatility](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/voter-volatility/) - Following a general election, especially one as dramatic as 4 July’s, council by-elections can provide evidence about voters in the new political environment.
- [Getting women active](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/getting-women-active/) - Co-designing activities is key, according to councils.
- [Planning rules overhaul](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/planning-rules-overhaul/) - Further measures are needed on affordable housing.
- [Audit backlog](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/audit-backlog/) - The Government has announced measures to tackle the backlog in the auditing of local bodies’ accounts, pending longer-term plans to fix local audit, expected this autumn.
- [LGA staff changes](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/lga-staff-changes/) - Sally Burlington, the LGA’s Director of Policy and Deputy Chief Executive, is leaving the organisation to become Chief Executive of the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services.
- [BAME leadership](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/bame-leadership/) - The LGA is celebrating 20 years of its annual leadership programme for ethnic minority councillors, with applications now open for its 2024/25 BAME councillors weekender events, taking place in October 2024 and February 2025 in Coventry.
- [Pay awards](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/pay-awards/) - The Government is to fund pay awards for parts of the public sector, but its announcement over the summer did not provide any additional funding for pay in local government.
- [Local roads](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/local-roads/) - More than half of drivers (56 per cent) say the state of Britain’s local roads is one of their top motoring concerns, according to the RAC.
- [Workforce awards](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/workforce-awards/) - The LGA’s pilot local government recruitment campaign in the North East, ‘Make a difference, work for your local council’, has been shortlisted for two categories in the Local Government Chronicle’s workforce awards, taking place on 5 November 2024.
- [Cross-party working](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/cross-party-working/) - LGA Chair Cllr Louise Gittins met her predecessors over the summer to discuss “all things local government” and the importance of cross-party working.
- [More ‘move on’ time needed to help house refugees](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/more-move-on-time-needed-to-help-house-refugees/) - A snapshot LGA survey shows councils want more time between asylum seekers receiving a decision on their application and having to move out of Home Office accommodation.
- [New parental leave policy for councillors](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/new-parental-leave-policy-for-councillors/) - The LGA has adopted its first model parental leave policy for councillors, providing a practical starting point for councils wanting to address this grey area for elected members.
- [Virtual meetings ‘under review’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/virtual-meetings-under-review/) - The Government is considering changes to the rules around councillors attending meetings virtually – something the LGA has been calling for since 2021.
- [Cultural services ‘under threat’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/cultural-services-under-threat/) - Councils’ spending on culture in England remains under threat because of the multitude of funding streams and wider funding pressures, LGA infographics have revealed.
- [Call to review temporary accommodation subsidy](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/call-to-review-temporary-accommodation-subsidy/) - Government subsidies towards councils’ temporary accommodation costs – currently stuck at 2011 levels – need to be “urgently addressed” in the face of rising homelessness, the LGA has warned.
- [Fear of pharmacy ‘deserts’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/fear-of-pharmacy-deserts/) - Rural areas of England are at risk of becoming ‘pharmacy deserts’, with nearly all seeing at least one close in the past two years, according to the National Pharmacy Association.
- [Support for struggling households extended](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/support-for-struggling-households-extended/) - The Government has extended its support for struggling households over the winter, following an LGA campaign.
- [After the riots](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/after-the-riots/) - Building community cohesion requires a long-term strategic approach.
- [Planning for health](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/planning-for-health/) - How can we help to bring health into the development decision-making process, without placing yet another burden on already overstretched local government officers?
- [A growth mindset](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/a-growth-mindset/) - Cutting carbon and nurturing community.
- [Hope for change](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/interview/hope-for-change/) - Building trust with government is the new LGA chair’s priority.
- [Sustainable Approaches to Coastal Management in the UK](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/advertorial/sustainable-approaches-to-coastal-management-in-the-uk/) - A new report conducted by Aggregate Industries has laid bare the true cost and impact that coastal erosion is going to have on the UK.
- [Choice and control in digital social care ](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/choice-and-control-in-digital-social-care/) - What do I want from technology-enabled care?
- [Largest number of MPs ever](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/largest-number-of-mps-ever/) - The general election was historic: it created an earthquake across every region of the country, with the Liberal Democrats making gains from Yorkshire to Dorset, Norfolk to Wales, Inverness to Sussex.
- [Winds of change](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/winds-of-change/) - It’s been a whirlwind of change since the general election – at the LGA, locally, and nationally.
- [£750k for electrical reuse and recycling](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/750k-for-electrical-reuse-and-recycling/) - Our research shows that although 80 per cent of people support more recycling, many still find it hard to turn their good intentions into action.
- [Making culture accessible to all](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/making-culture-accessible-to-all/) - Tourism contributes more than £400 million to the South Tyneside economy annually.
- [Sharing learnings from CQC assessment](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/sharing-learnings-from-cqc-assessment/) - Hertfordshire County Council’s Adult Care Services were recently rated ‘good’ by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
- [Making an impact](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/making-an-impact/) - The LGA has relaunched its popular graduate development programme.
- [The culture challenge](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/the-culture-challenge/) - Members have a key role to play in building a more inclusive fire service.
- [Protecting women and girls](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/protecting-women-and-girls/) - The LGA has published a survey of domestic homicide reviews.
- [Embracing diversity](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/embracing-diversity/) - The LGA supports people from different backgrounds to stand as councillors.
- [A new Parliament](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/parliament/a-new-parliament/) - A third of MPs have local government experience.
- [The King’s Speech](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/the-kings-speech-2/) - A bumper batch of bills includes many of interest to councils.
- [Leadership changes at LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/leadership-changes-at-lga/) - The LGA has a new chair – and only its second female chair – after Cllr Shaun Davies stood down having been elected MP for Telford in the general election.
- [A fragmented vote distribution](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/a-fragmented-vote-distribution/) - Many councillors took the opportunity of the snap general election to resign their seats, minimising the costs to local authorities of conducting by-elections.
- [New dates for LGA annual conference ](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/new-dates-for-lga-annual-conference/) - The LGA will hold its 2024 annual conference and exhibition in Harrogate from 22-24 October.
- [Unpaid carers](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/unpaid-carers/) - A report from the charity Carers UK has found that 62 per cent of current and former unpaid carers had no choice in taking on their role – equivalent to 10 million adult unpaid carers – because of a lack of alternative care options.
- [Social care ‘in precarious position’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/social-care-in-precarious-position/) - Nine out of 10 directors of adult social services have no confidence, or are only partially confident, that their budgets will be sufficient to fully meet their statutory duties in 2024/25, according to the Association of Directors of Adult Social Services’ (ADASS’) spring survey.
- [Local deals ‘could deliver 200,000 social homes’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/local-deals-could-deliver-200000-social-homes/) - New research by the LGA suggests that the rollout of five-year local housing deals by 2025 would lead to 200,000 additional social homes being built over 30 years.
- [New programme for chief executives](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/new-programme-for-chief-executives/) - A first-of-its-kind development programme for local authority chief executives has been created by the LGA and Solace, the network for local government and public sector professionals.
- [Local skills and jobs ](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/local-skills-and-jobs/) - Taking steps towards a devolved employment and skills service
- [Empowering councils for future success](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/empowering-councils-for-future-success/) - Competitively priced support is available from the LGA.
- [Workforce worries](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/workforce-worries/) - Without the right staff, councils cannot deliver for communities.
- [Improving our conversation](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/improving-our-conversation/) - The employer voice in fire service pay negotiations.
- [Reducing disparities](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/reducing-disparities/) - A new report highlights good practice in disability work.
- [Council spending on homelessness ‘triples’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/council-spending-on-homelessness-triples/) - The percentage of councils’ total housing budget being spent on homelessness and temporary accommodation has more than tripled since 2015, according to LGA analysis.
- [Councils ‘vital’ to response to covid inquiry](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/councils-vital-to-response-to-covid-inquiry/) - COVID-19 caused unnecessary deaths and economic costs because of significant flaws in the UK’s pandemic planning, according to the first report of the UK Covid-19 Inquiry, led by Baroness Hallett.
- [LGA ‘offer’ to new government](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/lga-offer-to-new-government/) - The new Parliament presents a great opportunity for national and local government to work in partnership and reset the relationship between them, to deliver transformative change, the LGA has said.
- [New digital transformation framework launched](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/new-digital-transformation-framework-launched/) - Digital transformation in councils is set to be boosted by the launch of a new mission-driven framework to bolster efficiency, improve public services and connect residents.
- [Resetting national-local relationships](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/resetting-national-local-relationships/) - Recent months have been difficult for Conservatives, particularly in local government. We lost some great Conservative councillors during the local elections in May, and we experienced an incredibly gruelling general election campaign.
- [A better focus on the local](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/a-better-focus-on-the-local/) - Congratulations! What an election for our group members.
- [DPM: ‘I believe in local government’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/dpm-i-believe-in-local-government/) - Local leaders quizzed government ministers about devolution, adult social care, homelessness, special needs education and transport, climate change and roads at last week’s LGA Councillors’ Forum.
- [A return to mission-driven government](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/a-return-to-mission-driven-government/) - As the newly elected Leader of the LGA’s Labour Group, I’m thrilled to be writing under a Labour Government!
- [Children ‘harmed’ by delays in health services](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/children-harmed-by-delays-in-health-services/) - A new report by NHS Providers has warned a “forgotten” generation’s life chances are being harmed by delays in accessing care.
- [Landmark report urges reform of ‘broken’ SEND system](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/landmark-report-urges-reform-of-broken-send-system/) - A major new independent report on services for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) has found that the current system is not working for families, schools and councils, underlining the need for fundamental reform.
- [The ‘Year of Elections’ and economic predictions: Cutting through the noise](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/advertorial/the-year-of-elections-and-economic-predictions-cutting-through-the-noise/) - Lewington Wealth Management is delighted to invite you to our upcoming webinar, featuring Steven Bell, Chief Economist at Columbia Threadneedle.
- [Closing the transport accessibility gap](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/closing-the-accessible-transport-gap/) - The UK has a proud history of making transport more accessible for disabled people.
- [LGA annual conference rescheduled](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/lga-annual-conference-rescheduled/) - The LGA’s Annual Conference and Exhibition – originally planned for 2-4 July – has been rescheduled for 22-24 October, at the Harrogate Convention Centre.
- [Ending abuse in public life](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/ending-abuse-in-public-life-2/) - The LGA has published a toolkit to help keep councillors safe.
- [Keeping 1.5 alive](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/keeping-1-5-alive/) - Councils can access free tools to monitor their greenhouse gas emissions.
- [Making a difference](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/making-a-difference/) - Top tips for new councillors.
- [A new hope](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/a-new-hope/) - The LGA’s Local Government White Paper sets out how to deliver more and better for residents.
- [60 seconds with… Councillor Jagdish Sharma](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/interview/60-seconds-with-councillor-jagdish-sharma/) - Councillor Jagdish Sharma (Lab), 89, a former Mayor, Leader, and Leader of the Opposition at the London Borough of Hounslow, is celebrating 50 years as a member of the council.
- [Securing the priorities of Conservative councillors](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/securing-the-priorities-of-conservative-councillors/) - With the general election now well under way, I am sure many of you will have already hit the doorsteps to support Conservative candidates standing in this election, including a number of brilliant Conservative councillors who are candidates.
- [Helping councils to deliver](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/helping-councils-to-deliver/) - Astonishingly, by the time you read this, we will already be half-way through the general election campaign.
- [Apprentice of the year](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/apprentice-of-the-year/) - Sara Jenner-Akehurst has been named as the 2024 Local Government Apprentice of the Year.
- [LGA Annual Conference cancelled](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/lga-annual-conference-cancelled/) - As the June edition of first was going to press, the LGA Board was meeting to discuss whether the organisation’s annual conference will be rescheduled.
- [New sexual health strategy needed as STIs rise](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/new-sexual-health-strategy-needed-as-stis-rise/) - The LGA is calling on whoever forms the next government to launch a new 10-year sexual health strategy.
- [Councils face £6.2bn funding gap](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/councils-face-6-2bn-funding-gap/) - A new relationship between central and local government – providing long-term financial certainty and empowering councils – is the only way to solve the issues facing the country.
- [Emergency Preparedness – Sharing Best Practice](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/advertorial/emergency-preparedness-sharing-best-practice/) - The UK has suffered a series of traumatic emergencies in recent years, amplifying the need for civil emergency preparedness across response, recovery and ongoing community resilience.
- [Independents have turned the tide](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/independents-have-turned-the-tide/) - The general election is happening just after our stunning success in the local elections.
- [Impressive gains in local elections](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/impressive-gains-in-local-elections/) - In many places, we’re now calling the shots, thanks to yet another round of impressive gains.
- [A serious and long-term plan for change](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/a-serious-and-long-term-plan-for-change/) - The general election is finally here, with PM Rishi Sunak finally bowing to pressure and giving the country the chance to change.
- [Ensuring effective adoption services](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/ensuring-effective-adoption-services/) - There has recently been significant focus on how councils can ensure the right homes for children in their care, as well as how kinship arrangements can be strengthened to help more children stay safely with their wider families.
- [LGA political balance reviewed](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/lga-political-balance-reviewed/) - Labour remains the largest political group at the LGA following the 2 May local elections, so it retains the right to nominate the organisation’s chair.
- [Framework ‘to provide accountability’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/framework-to-provide-accountability/) - A new improvement and assurance framework – designed to help councils check that they have the right controls in place and identify where they need to become more effective – has been published by the LGA.
- [New programme for local leaders launched](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/new-programme-for-local-leaders-launched/) - The LGA has launched a new programme for local leaders, exploring the various complex and demanding challenges they face – ranging from crisis management to political changes.
- [Horses for courses](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/horses-for-courses/) - The 2 May local elections saw the Conservatives hit their lowest number of councillors and councils controlled for a quarter of a century.
- [Making it count](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/making-it-count-2/) - The LGA provides support for councillors on finance, governance and audit.
- [Responding to the inspectors](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/responding-to-the-inspectors/) - Getting the communications right.
- [Promoting people’s wellbeing](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/promoting-peoples-wellbeing/) - The Care Act remains a valuable framework for modern care and support.
- [The changing face of devolution](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/the-changing-face-of-devolution/) - The number of combined and county authorities is increasing.
- [From harm to hope](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/from-harm-to-hope/) - Reviewing progress on the national drugs plan.
- [Watchdog warnings on biodiversity scheme](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/watchdog-warnings-on-biodiversity-scheme/) - A new scheme that requires developers to boost nature has been launched without having all the elements in place to deliver it, the National Audit Office (NAO) has warned.
- [A workforce strategy for adult social care](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/a-workforce-strategy-for-adult-social-care/) - Last autumn, Skills for Care announced ambitious plans to develop a new and comprehensive workforce strategy for adult social care.
- [Legal duties on social care ‘may not be met’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/legal-duties-on-social-care-may-not-be-met/) - A third of councils are not confident of being able to meet all their legal duties under the Care Act 2014 by 2025/26 – a decade after the introduction of the landmark legislation, designed to improve access to vital care and support.
- [More to do on fire service culture ](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/more-to-do-on-fire-service-culture/) - The fire and rescue sector has made some good progress nationally but government needs to press ahead with reforms, according to the chief inspector of fire and rescue services.
- [‘Targets needed to build more social rent homes’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/targets-needed-to-build-more-social-rent-homes-2/) - The range of financial pressures facing social housing providers has led to fewer social homes being built and exacerbated a chronic social housing shortage in England, according to MPs.
- [Staff pay offer](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/staff-pay-offer/) - Council staff have been offered a pay increase of at least £1,290 from 1 April 2024, equating to 5.77 per cent for the lowest paid.
- [Addressing health inequalities and supporting communities to become heart safe](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/advertorial/addressing-health-inequalities-and-supporting-communities-to-become-heart-safe/) - Are the defibrillators in your community registered on The Circuit?
- [LGA calls for respect during local elections](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/lga-calls-for-respect-during-local-elections/) - The LGA has joined forces with the Electoral Commission and the Jo Cox Foundation to call for no abuse towards candidates at the 2 May local elections.
- [Caring for care leavers](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/lga-chairman/caring-for-care-leavers/) - As first was going to press, I was speaking at the launch of a new fund to support young people leaving local authority care.
- [Bringing siblings in care together](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/bringing-siblings-in-care-together/) - A report last year from the Children’s Commissioner for England indicated that of the more than 80,000 children in care, 37 per cent have been separated from a sibling.
- [Updated improvement support for councils](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/updated-improvement-support-for-councils/) - New, enhanced improvement tools and a wider range of councillor-focused transformation support are among the additional offers in the LGA’s 2024/25 Sector Support programme.
- [Optimism and empathy](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/interview/optimism-and-empathy/) - The LGA’s new chief executive talks funding to first.
- [Financing sustainability in social housing](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/financing-sustainability-in-social-housing/) - Domestic housing is a significant contributor to greenhouse gases, so a step change in the way our homes are insulated and heated will be required to achieve net zero by 2050.
- [Leadership development ](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/leadership-development/) - The LGA’s competition for council officers has reached its mid-point.
- [Public health priorities](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/public-health-priorities/) - Prevention, collaboration and innovation.
- [Influencing devolution](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/influencing-devolution/) - The Devolution APPG provided an open forum for local leaders and parliamentarians.
- [‘Clarify extreme weather roles’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/clarify-extreme-weather-roles/) - Long-term plans to respond to floods, storms and heatwaves are needed, MPs have warned in a new report.
- [Guidance needed to support smoking ban – LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/guidance-needed-to-support-smoking-ban-lga/) - The LGA has called for sufficient lead-in time and guidance to be provided ahead of legislation on smoking and vaping coming into force, so that councils, retailers and others understand their new obligations and can prepare accordingly.
- [Collaboration on climate action](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/councillor/collaboration-on-climate-action/) - A new LGA report shares local innovation from abroad.
- [Oflog’s independence ‘key to success’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/oflogs-independence-key-to-success/) - The Office for Local Government’s (Oflog) success depends on it being both independent, and seen to be independent, the LGA has told MPs.
- [Challenge and change](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/challenge-and-change-2/) - The LGA has launched its 2024/25 Sector Support programme for local authorities.
- [Delivering biodiversity](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/delivering-biodiversity/) - Planning to leave wildlife habitats better than we found them.
- [Social cohesion review warns of ‘significant challenges’ ](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/social-cohesion-review-warns-of-significant-challenges/) - An independent review by Dame Sara Khan into social cohesion and resilience has warned of “significant challenges” that impact the wellbeing of our democracy, threatening to undermine the social fabric of the country.
- [Support for shipbuilding](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/support-for-shipbuilding/) - I would like to thank the LGA for this opportunity to address a wide range of councillors and local authority chief executives across England and Wales.
- [The chief executive’s evolving role](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/the-chief-executives-evolving-role/) - Whether you’re a council leader, portfolio holder, backbencher, or member of the opposition, you will know who the chief executive of your council is.
- [Youth homelessness pressures ](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/youth-homelessness-pressures/) - Councils in England face a £332 million shortfall in funding to tackle youth homelessness, the charity Centrepoint has claimed.
- [New £3.6m fund for care leavers](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/new-3-6m-fund-for-care-leavers/) - Local programmes in England offering tailored support to young care-experienced adults are being supported by a new £3.6 million fund.
- [Inclusive approach to decision-making](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/inclusive-approach-to-decision-making/) - Congratulations to our members currently standing in the local elections. In 107 local authorities and 11 mayoral authorities, polling is about to start.
- [End postcode lottery of SEND support](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/end-postcode-lottery-of-send-support/) - I am delighted my party has called for a new national agency for special educational needs and disabilities.
- [Leaders under challenge ](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/leaders-under-challenge/) - Local government faces existential threats like no other with council risk registers changing ever more frequently.
- [Running successful local bus companies ](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/running-successful-local-bus-companies/) - I’m delighted that the Labour Party has announced its Plan for Better Buses.
- [Sure Start ‘improved GCSE results’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/sure-start-improved-gcse-results/) - New research has shown that an early years support programme for families improved GCSE results and reduced the need for additional support for children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
- [A third of local areas in the UK just experienced their hottest year on record](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/advertorial/a-third-of-local-areas-in-the-uk-just-experienced-their-hottest-year-on-record/) - Climate charity Carbon Copy, in partnership with Professor Ed Hawkins at the University of Reading, has just released the latest update to the local climate warming stripes – the iconic blue and red graphic representation of the reality of our heating planet.
- [Local elections 2024 preview](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/local-elections-2024-preview/) - On 2 May, 107 councils across England go to the polls, with more than 2,600 seats at stake.
- [Partners in supporting our communities](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/partners-in-supporting-our-communities-2/) - The annual conference of the District Councils’ Network took place in mid-March, little more than a fortnight before most of our member councils celebrate their 50th anniversary.
- [A sparsity of results](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/a-sparsity-of-results/) - There is usually a sparsity of local by-elections in the weeks before the annual May contests, and 2024 is no exception.
- [Towards a healthy weight](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/towards-a-healthy-weight/) - Councils are taking action to improve children’s health.
- [Improving outcomes for children](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/improving-outcomes-for-children/) - Political leadership is key to making a difference.
- [Transitioning LEPs](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/transitioning-leps/) - LGA research looks at the key issues for councils.
- [Regulating automated vehicles](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/parliament/regulating-automated-vehicles/) - Self-driving cars need to be accessible.
- [AI and children’s social care](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/ai-and-childrens-social-care/) - In ‘Stable homes, built on love’, the Government outlined its strategy to reform children’s social care and its aim to develop ‘a system that continuously learns and improves, and makes better use of evidence and data’.
- [Evidence-based support for UAS children](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/evidence-based-support-for-uas-children/) - Unaccompanied children seeking asylum are a vulnerable group in need of sensitive, evidence-based support.
- [Harnessing the power of culture](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/harnessing-the-power-of-culture/) - The LGA can help improve your strategic approach.
- [Inclusive early years provision](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/inclusive-early-years-provision/) - Families with SEND children struggle to find childcare.
- [Encouraging allyship](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/encouraging-allyship/) - The LGA’s Be a Councillor campaign is celebrating transgender councillors.
- [Spring Budget 2024](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/spring-budget-2024/) - The last Spring Budget before the General Election did not contain any measures to adequately fund the local services people rely on every day, the LGA has concluded.
- [A blueprint for local government](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/a-blueprint-for-local-government/) - Place-based approaches to meeting need can be more effective.
- [Shisha bars ‘should be licensed’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/shisha-bars-should-be-licensed/) - The LGA is calling for a new licensing regime for shisha premises.
- [Partners in supporting our communities](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/partners-in-supporting-our-communities/) - The annual conference of the District Councils’ Network took place in mid-March, little more than a fortnight before most of our member councils celebrated their 50th anniversary.
- [Get up and go](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/get-up-and-go/) - Share your schemes helping women and girls to be more active.
- [Culture and devolution](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/culture-and-devolution/) - Cultural services deliver growth and hope.
- [Supporting asylum-seeking children](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/supporting-asylum-seeking-children/) - A joined-up approach is needed to help all those seeking refuge.
- [Look who’s turning 50](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/look-whos-turning-50/) - Current district and county councils started out in 1974.
- [Waste rule changes ‘could lead to sofa mountains’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/waste-rule-changes-could-lead-to-sofa-mountains/) - Councils need funding to tackle waste sofas and other discarded soft furnishing items that contain dangerous chemicals before rules change this year, says the LGA.
- [Wasteful words](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/wasteful-words/) - While we have made a lot of progress on tackling waste by emphasising the last part of the ‘reduce, reuse, recycle’ mantra, we can’t recycle our way out of the climate emergency.
- [Coastal water-quality concerns](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/coastal-water-quality-concerns/) - A continuing deterioration in coastal water quality is affecting residents’ health and impacting local industries, such as tourism and fishing, the LGA’s Coastal Special Interest Group (SIG) has warned.
- [Lancaster tops by-elections table](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/lancaster-tops-by-elections-table/) - At the very end of February, the Conservatives made a gain from the Liberal Democrats, their first since November 2022.
- [The challenges of coastal change](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/the-challenges-of-coastal-change/) - Local authorities around the country are grappling with a range of issues caused by coastal erosion.
- [Making women and girls feel safe](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/making-women-and-girls-feel-safe/) - Growing up and living in vibrant London, being vigilant when navigating the night-time as a woman comes as a given.
- [Thinking about future generations](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/thinking-about-future-generations/) - It was a great please to spend time with colleagues from Plaid Cymru at their spring conference in Caernarfon in late March.
- [Spring Budget ‘a missed opportunity’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/spring-budget-a-missed-opportunity/) - The Spring Budget on 6 March was the final chance for this Government to turn around 14 years of economic mismanagement and try to put the British economy back on track.
- [Delivering the very best for our communities](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/delivering-the-very-best-for-our-communities/) - In March, LGA Conservative Group colleagues were invited to Downing Street to attend a meeting of the political Cabinet with the Prime Minister.
- [Civility and service](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/lga-chairman/civility-and-service/) - With council, mayoral and police and crime commissioner elections just over a month away, I wanted to say thank you to everyone in local government who helps ensure our local democracy works effectively.
- [Raising awareness of the financial crisis](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/raising-awareness-of-the-financial-crisis/) - We’re just back from the Liberal Democrat spring conference, where we had a busy and successful time, if a bit exhausting!
- [Red tape ‘stopping local climate action’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/red-tape-stopping-local-climate-action/) - A bureaucratic system of bid-funding is hampering efforts to reach net-zero targets, according to a new survey for the LGA.
- [Councils face ‘urgent and important’ challenges](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/councils-face-urgent-and-important-challenges/) - The LGA’s new Chief Executive has written to council chief executives, pledging to work with them to “deliver the best public services possible”.
- [‘Disappointing’ Budget extends cost-of-living support](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/disappointing-budget-extends-cost-of-living-support/) - Support for vulnerable households has been extended for another six months in what was otherwise a “disappointing” Spring Budget for councils, the LGA has said.
- [New alliance to support cultural services](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/new-alliance-to-support-cultural-services/) - A fresh approach is needed to sustain culture services in the future, according to a new partnership of organisations representing local government, including the LGA.
- [Extremism definition updated](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/extremism-definition-updated/) - Communities Secretary Michael Gove has published an updated definition of extremism in response to an “increased extremist threat” since the Israel-Gaza war, which he said posed “a real risk” to the UK.
- [Vape ban ‘needs heftier fines’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/vape-ban-needs-heftier-fines/) - Businesses should face tougher fines if they flout the proposed ban on disposable vapes, says the LGA.
- [Reforming the private rental sector](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/parliament/reforming-the-private-rental-sector/) - Delays to legislation ‘exacerbating homelessness’.
- [Asylum housing costs up – NAO](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/asylum-housing-costs-up-nao/) - Government plans for asylum accommodation will cost more than using hotels, and new large sites are housing fewer people than planned, according to the National Audit Office.
- [‘Make adult social care a priority’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/make-adult-social-care-a-priority/) - The next government has been urged to make social care a priority after years of reform being “consistently dodged or delayed”, a think-tank has said.
- [Childcare expansion](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/childcare-expansion/) - The early years agenda can support wider council aims.
- [Working together on finances](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/working-together-on-finances/) - Our shared work on the financial settlement for local government yielded a stopgap of a further essential £600 million, helping our councils set balanced budgets over the next month.
- [Deeds not words make a difference](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/deeds-not-words-make-a-difference/) - A key Liberal Democrat value is putting the environment first, so I am delighted to see that among English councils, out of the top 10 councils for recycling household waste, nine of them are led by Liberal Democrats.
- [Concerns about productivity plans](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/concerns-about-productivity-plans/) - All of us will welcome the additional uplift in funding announced in the final local government finance settlement, while acknowledging that much more support is necessary.
- [Give councils the respect they deserve](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/give-councils-the-respect-they-deserve/) - Only Prime Minister Rishi Sunak knows when he will call the general election that the country desperately needs.
- [Local services matter](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/lga-chairman/local-services-matter/) - Despite councils’ best efforts to protect services, the financial challenges they face from rising cost and demand pressures are having a marked impact on service provision.
- [A curriculum for children with a vision impairment](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/a-curriculum-for-children-with-a-vision-impairment/) - When a child or young person has a vision impairment, it can be hard to access the specialist support they need to participate and thrive in education.
- [Asking the right questions](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/asking-the-right-questions/) - Child sexual abuse has been particularly prominent in the public discourse recently, with multiple high-profile cases, reviews and inquiries shining a spotlight on the scale of abuse taking place across the country.
- [Setting the standard](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/setting-the-standard/) - Could your amazing apprentice be crowned champion?
- [Resources for sustainability](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/resources-for-sustainability/) - Tools and training for councils tackling climate change.
- [More than just potholes](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/more-than-just-potholes/) - Inflation is eating away at funding for local roads.
- [Reforming social care](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/parliament/reforming-social-care/) - Changing public perceptions about services.
- [LGBTQ+ health and care needs](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/lgbtq-health-and-care-needs/) - East Sussex’s assessment has helped improve services.
- [Making cities work for people](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/making-cities-work-for-people/) - Transport is key to local prosperity.
- [Suicide prevention projects are ‘lifeline’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/suicide-prevention-projects-are-lifeline/) - The ending of funding for suicide prevention projects could have “life or death consequences” in some areas, the LGA has warned.
- [Operations for children’s rotten teeth up 17%](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/operations-for-childrens-rotten-teeth-up-17/) - There were more than 31,000 hospital operations last year to remove rotten teeth in children and teenagers – equating to 119 per working day, according to new official figures.
- [Pavement parking ban ‘should be extended’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/pavement-parking-ban-should-be-extended/) - Powers to ban pavement parking should be extended across England to make streets safer, councils have said.
- [Increase in public health grants](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/increase-in-public-health-grants/) - The Government has said its public health grant allocations to councils, published in February, will deliver a real-terms increase of more than 4 per cent over 2023/24 and 2024/25.
- [More support needed for vulnerable households](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/more-support-needed-for-vulnerable-households/) - The Government is being urged to extend the Household Support Fund (HSF) to help protect vulnerable households across the UK.
- [Abuse and intimidation](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/abuse-and-intimidation/) - The LGA is calling for councillors’ addresses not to be published.
- [Leading the way](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/leading-the-way-2/) - The last month produced a small crop of by-elections but two-thirds of them saw a seat change hands amid some surprising results.
- [Beyond the short-term](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/beyond-the-short-term/) - How might patterns of ill health change because of our growing and ageing population? What measures are needed to mitigate rising levels of ill health?
- [Artificial intelligence](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/artificial-intelligence/) - Is AI a friend or foe to local government?
- [Inspiring inclusion](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/inspiring-inclusion/) - Closing the gap in power and leadership positions.
- [Safe and welcomed](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/safe-and-welcomed/) - Councils continue to support Ukrainians escaping the Russian invasion.
- [For the sector by the sector ](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/for-the-sector-by-the-sector/) - The LGA is strengthening its Corporate Peer Challenge offer for councils.
- [Time to bin excess packaging, say consumers](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/time-to-bin-excess-packaging-say-consumers/) - Seven in 10 people believe supermarkets and retailers use too much packaging, according to research by YouGov for the LGA.
- [‘Reform RTB to avoid losing social housing’ – LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/reform-rtb-to-avoid-losing-social-housing-lga/) - The LGA is proposing reforms to the Right to Buy (RTB) scheme in England to prevent the year-on-year net loss of social housing stock.
- [Tough decisions as costs rise](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/tough-decisions-as-costs-rise/) - As Independents and members of smaller parties, we need to take important – sometimes life-changing – decisions on behalf of all our residents, including the most vulnerable.
- [Flooding, finances and food waste](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/flooding-finances-and-food-waste/) - The past few weeks have been a whirlwind for local government, not least because of the announcement of the provisional finance settlement, but also because of the outstanding work that our colleagues across the sector have done in response to the flooding and damage caused by recent storms (including Henk, Isha and Jocelyn, as the February edition of first was going to press).
- [Invest local to save](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/lga-chairman/invest-local-to-save/) - After months of LGA and council warnings that growing funding gaps would lead to cuts in services, the Government announced in January that an additional £600 million will be included in the final local government finance settlement for 2024/25.
- [Unlocking potential](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/unlocking-potential/) - The impact of the LGA’s graduate programme is transformative.
- [Attracting the best talent](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/attracting-the-best-talent/) - Dorset is making recruitment more human-focused.
- [Community engagement](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/community-engagement/) - The LGA and partners have gathered examples of innovative practice.
- [Heating our homes](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/parliament/heating-our-homes/) - Supporting an affordable switch to decarbonised heating.
- [Review to inform new libraries strategy](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/review-to-inform-new-libraries-strategy/) - Ministers have confirmed that a series of recommendations from an independent review of libraries will be taken forward in a new government strategy, due to be published this year.
- [Local government recruitment drive](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/local-government-recruitment-drive/) - LGA Chair Cllr Shaun Davies (pictured) visited Stockton-on-Tees in January, to promote a pilot of a new recruitment campaign for local government
- [‘Unprecedented’ demand on sexual health services](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/unprecedented-demand-on-sexual-health-services/) - Sexual health services are reaching breaking point, with more than two-thirds of council areas seeing increased rates of gonorrhoea and syphilis since 2017, the LGA has warned.
- [Keeping children safe from violence](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/keeping-children-safe-from-violence/) - What works to keep children and young people safe from violence?
- [Lessons from a cyber attack](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/lessons-from-a-cyber-attack/) - A new case study shares what was learned from an attack on Gloucester City Council.
- [Young minds](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/young-minds/) - Thoughts on improving children and young people’s mental health.
- [Local government recruitment ](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/local-government-recruitment/) - North East councils are piloting a new advertising campaign.
- [Ministers press councils on reserves](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/ministers-press-councils-on-reserves/) - The LGA has warned that reserves “can only be spent once” in response to calls from ministers for councils to use them in response to current funding pressures.
- [Embracing change ](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/embracing-change/) - Cultural and leisure services provide vital social and economic support to residents.
- [Budget for the future](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/budget-for-the-future/) - Investing in councils can drive economic growth.
- [Safer canvassing](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/councillor/safer-canvassing/) - Canvassing is an integral aspect of the democratic process and a great way to campaign and engage with constituents.
- [Additional funding announced for social care ](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/additional-funding-announced-for-social-care/) - Councils in England are to receive an extra £600 million in the financial year 2024/25, of which £500 million will be for adult and children’s social care services.
- [Action needed on conditions in asylum hotels](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/action-needed-on-conditions-in-asylum-hotels/) - Hounslow has the second-highest number of asylum seekers living in hotels of any local authority area in the country.
- [Markets at a crossroads](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/markets-at-a-crossroads/) - Markets are recognised among the top factors for supporting vibrant and vital town centres.
- [Changing face of local government](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/changing-face-of-local-government/) - The face of local government in England is undergoing incremental yet quite radical change.
- [No place in politics: tackling abuse and intimidation](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/no-place-in-politics-tackling-abuse-and-intimidation/) - In February 2023, we launched the Jo Cox Civility Commission, dedicated to finding implementable solutions to the problem of abuse and intimidation of elected politicians.
- [Park homes could help solve the housing crisis](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/park-homes-could-help-solve-the-housing-crisis/) - Park homes are becoming increasingly popular, yet almost no councils make provision for them in their local plans.
- [TV dramas highlight government scandals](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/tv-dramas-highlight-government-scandals/) - Do all government scandals need a television drama for people to take notice? ITV’s ‘Mr Bates vs The Post Office’ horrified the public and triggered outrage.
- [An admission of total failure](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/an-admission-of-total-failure/) - Just days before many councils set their most difficult budgets in years – and many months after the LGA warned that soaring demand for social care and temporary accommodation was posing an existential risk to council budgets – the Government has finally backtracked on its catastrophic provisional local government finance settlement for 2024/25 and announced £600 million in extra funding.
- [‘Wraparound’ care a struggle for councils](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/wraparound-care-a-struggle-for-councils/) - Local authorities are struggling with the delivery of ‘wraparound’ childcare amid significant funding and staff recruitment challenges, says an LGA-commissioned report.
- [Encouragement for measles vaccination](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/encouragement-for-measles-vaccination/) - Council leaders and their directors of public health across England and Wales have been urgently calling on parents to ensure their children have had both doses of the MMR vaccine.
- [‘Extend support for vulnerable households’ – LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/extend-support-for-vulnerable-households-lga/) - The LGA is calling on the Government to extend the Household Support Fund, amid warnings that six million of the poorest people in the UK would need to more than double their income to escape poverty.
- [Fly-tipping incidents down](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/fly-tipping-incidents-down/) - Council enforcement actions against fly-tipping went up and the number of incidents went down last year in England.
- [‘Stigma’ around HIV remains](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/stigma-around-hiv-remains/) - People living with HIV continue to report a high level of satisfaction with their care service and treatment, but levels of stigma remain high, a new survey has found.
- [First workforce pathway for care staff](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/first-workforce-pathway-for-care-staff-2/) - The Government has announced a new ‘care workforce pathway’, providing the first national career structure for adult social care staff.
- [By-elections review 2023](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/by-elections-review-2023/) - Losing more than 1,000 councillors last May, and suffering regular by-election defeats, the Conservatives must be hoping fortunes improve as the next General Election looms.
- [LGA leadership challenge](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/lga-leadership-challenge/) - The Local Government Challenge is an annual competition and leadership development programme for local government officers.
- [Cabs to cosmetic procedures](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/cabs-to-cosmetic-procedures/) - This year is already shaping up to be another significant one in licensing, with important announcements expected in a range of key areas.
- [Children and adults](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/children-and-adults/) - School inspections, adult social care assurance, profiteering in the childcare market, and workforce challenges were among the many topics discussed at the National Children and Adult Services Conference (NCASC).
- [Housing targets ‘advisory’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/housing-targets-advisory/) - Housing targets will become an advisory starting point and councils will be given new powers to reject developments that significantly alter the character of an area or impinge on existing green belt.
- [Finance settlement ‘is a backwards step’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/finance-settlement-is-a-backwards-step/) - We have been making efficiency savings in our councils, putting up council taxes and charges, and doing innovative ‘invest to save’ projects.
- [The downward spiral of council finances](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/the-downward-spiral-of-council-finances/) - The provisional local government finance settlement for the upcoming financial year, with its £64.1 billion funding package, may seem like a step in the right direction.
- [Keir Starmer – you’re no Margaret Thatcher](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/keir-starmer-youre-no-margaret-thatcher/) - I would like to wish everyone across the local government sector, officers and councillors alike, a very prosperous new year.
- [‘Unprecedented’ costs and pressures on councils](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/unprecedented-costs-and-pressures-on-councils/) - It is shaping up to be a busy year for local government in 2024.
- [Balancing budgets, planning places](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/lga-chairman/balancing-budgets-planning-places/) - The lack of extra funding for local services in December's provisional local government finance settlement has left councils facing a growing financial crisis.
- [Financial strain](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/financial-strain/) - December’s provisional local government finance settlement did not provide enough funding to meet the severe cost and demand pressures facing councils in England, the LGA has warned.
- [‘Outlook remains bleak’ for council services in Wales](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/outlook-remains-bleak-for-council-services-in-wales/) - The Welsh LGA has warned of “extremely turbulent times ahead” for local services in Wales, after councils were awarded a 3.1 per cent increase in core revenue funding in 2024/25.
- [No extra funding for English councils](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/no-extra-funding-for-english-councils/) - Councils in England still face a £4 billion funding gap over the next two years after no extra support was announced in the provisional finance settlement for 2024/25, the LGA has said.
- [Credit their service](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/credit-their-service/) - The principles of the Armed Forces Covenant are that ‘those who serve/have served in the Armed Forces and their families, should face no disadvantage compared to other citizens in the provision of public and commercial services’.
- [Shaping the future of council tax in Wales](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/shaping-the-future-of-council-tax-in-wales/) - Wales continues to lead the way on council tax reform.
- [Helping councils decarbonise](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/helping-councils-decarbonise/) - As a country, as a planet, we must reach net zero carbon emissions – but that is certainly easier said than done.
- [Light the darkness](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/light-the-darkness/) - Has your council made plans to mark Holocaust Memorial Day 2024?
- [Future leaders](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/future-leaders/) - The National Graduate Development Programme (NGDP) is the LGA’s flagship graduate scheme.
- [Be a councillor](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/be-a-councillor-2/) - Is there any more fulfilling role than being a leader within your community and council, working with the people we represent, advocating for them and creating impactful change?
- [Digital switchover](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/digital-switchover/) - How we make and receive telephone calls is changing.
- [Ensuring building safety](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/ensuring-building-safety/) - In 1968, a gas explosion in an 18th-floor flat at Ronan Point in east London led to the building’s partial collapse and the death of four people.
- [CQC assurance begins](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/cqc-assurance-begins/) - For a number of councils, the taking down this month of office Christmas decorations may well be swiftly followed by the putting up of flipcharts, timelines and checklists on office walls.
- [International learning](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/international-learning/) - I’m standing outside a primary school at 7am on an icy November Sunday morning in deepest Slovenia, alongside a Belgian councillor.
- [Uphill progress on climate change](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/uphill-progress-on-climate-change/) - For the first time, local government had a proper seat at the top table with the other negotiators at the 2023 UN Climate Change Conference, and was saluted by many who now see the sector as at the heart of climate action.
- [Effective financial management](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/effective-financial-management/) - Over the past two months, I have had the privilege of chairing a number of roundtable discussions with senior officers to discuss LGA-commissioned research into councils with experience of finance and governance challenges.
- [Local policing](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/parliament/local-policing/) - Police and crime panels are integral to the governance of blue light services.
- [Assurance framework views needed](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/assurance-framework-views-needed/) - The LGA has launched the second phase of its engagement on how the improvement and assurance framework for local government can be improved.
- [Thousands of refugees at risk of homelessness – LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/thousands-of-refugees-at-risk-of-homelessness-lga/) - The scale and pace of asylum decision-making – without appropriate data-sharing and funding for councils – has led to significant pressures on asylum seekers and councils, including homelessness and rough sleeping, the LGA has warned.
- [Climate change ‘already affecting health’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/climate-change-already-affecting-health/) - The health impacts of climate change are already being felt locally and globally, and these risks will accelerate, says a recent report from the UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA).
- [‘Worrying’ new trends in drug use](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/worrying-new-trends-in-drug-use/) - There has been no change in the overall level of illicit drug use in England and Wales in the year to June 2022, compared with the previous year, according to new statistics.
- [‘New burdens’ funding needed for social care assurance](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/new-burdens-funding-needed-for-social-care-assurance/) - New social care assessments are time and energy-intensive and have created additional workload for councils, which needs to be funded, the LGA has said.
- [600,000 children ‘do no exercise’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/600000-children-do-no-exercise/) - Children and young people’s overall activity levels were stable in the academic year 2022/23, and in line with those seen before the pandemic, according to a Sport England survey.
- [‘Broken market’ for children’s social care placements](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/broken-market-for-childrens-social-care-placements/) - The number of children’s social care placements costing £10,000 or more per week has increased twelvefold in five years, an LGA survey has revealed.
- [Local honours](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/local-honours/) - Councillors and officers have been recognised for their extraordinary service and achievements in the New Year Honours List 2024.
- [3G network shutdown ‘could hit local services’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/3g-network-shutdown-could-hit-local-services/) - Parking meters, alarm systems and telecare devices could be disrupted and left obsolete because of the upcoming switch-off of 2G and 3G mobile networks, the LGA has warned.
- [We Believ in 2030! ](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/advertorial/we-believ-in-2030/) - The Government’s recent decision to delay the ban on the sale of new petrol and diesel vehicles by five years is disappointing.
- [Devo deals lack representation](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/devo-deals-lack-representation/) - The lack of support for councils in this Government’s Autumn Statement will see rising needs unmet and an estimated £4 billion shortfall by 2024.
- [One Public Estate ](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/one-public-estate/) - Releasing land and property for regeneration and new homes for 10 years.
- [Peer support](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/peer-support/) - The LGA’s member peers are a key part of our improvement offer.
- [Addressing economic inactivity ](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/addressing-economic-inactivity/) - Local support is effective in helping more people into work.
- [Characteristics of effective ICPs](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/characteristics-of-effective-icps/) - What have we learned about the role of integrated care partnerships in health and social care?
- [The Autumn Statement](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/the-autumn-statement-2/) - Calls to ease budget pressures in children’s services and adult social care ignored.
- [‘Record’ numbers in temporary accommodation](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/record-numbers-in-temporary-accommodation/) - The number of households living in temporary accommodation in England rose 89 per cent over the past decade to 104,000 households at the end of March 2023 – the highest figures since records began in 1998.
- [‘Good’ ratings in pilot CQC assessments](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/good-ratings-in-pilot-cqc-assessments/) - Four of the five local authorities helping pilot new adult social care assessments have been given ‘good’ indicative ratings by the Care Quality Commission (CQC).
- [Empty homes rise 10 per cent](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/empty-homes-rise-10-per-cent/) - The number of long-term empty homes in England has increased by nearly 10 per cent over the past five years – the equivalent of just over 1 per cent of the country’s housing stock, according to a new report from the LGA and the Empty Homes Network.
- [Reforming smoking and vaping](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/reforming-smoking-and-vaping/) - Smoking causes extraordinary damage across the country.
- [The King’s Speech](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/parliament/the-kings-speech/) - The Government has plans for 21 bills, including five on law and order.
- [Public ‘not prepared for climate change’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/public-not-prepared-for-climate-change/) - Just 5 per cent of the British public feel prepared for climate change, according to an LGA poll.
- [Autumn Statement to ‘stimulate growth’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/autumn-statement-to-stimulate-growth/) - The Government announced a suite of measures primarily aimed at increasing economic productivity and boosting investment by businesses in November’s Autumn Statement.
- [Acting on climate change](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/acting-on-climate-change/) - Empowering councils to act locally would halve the cost of delivering net zero nationally.
- [Adult social care pressures ‘unresolved’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/adult-social-care-pressures-unresolved/) - The LGA has pledged to “keep lobbying” for additional funding for adult social care, after the sector was largely ignored in the Autumn Statement.
- [Unpaid carers ‘suffer poor mental health’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/unpaid-carers-suffer-poor-mental-health/) - A lack of support and recognition from health and care services is damaging unpaid carers’ mental health, research from Carers UK shows.
- [Views sought on future of local government](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/views-sought-on-future-of-local-government/) - Council leaders and chief executives are being invited to share their views about what is needed in local areas, to help inform the LGA’s work on a Local Government White Paper.
- [Children’s social care ‘pushed to the brink’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/childrens-social-care-pushed-to-the-brink/) - Councils’ ability to provide the critical care and support that children rely on has been put at risk by the Autumn Statement’s lack of investment in children’s social care, the LGA has warned.
- [A mixed picture ](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/a-mixed-picture/) - Following on from their spectacular 2021 gain in the North Shropshire parliamentary by-election, Liberal Democrats in the county are thriving.
- [Waterways at risk](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/waterways-at-risk/) - Our canals and rivers are under threat.
- [Diving into ocean action](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/diving-into-ocean-action/) - In this current climate (pun intended), good environmental news is yet another endangered species.
- [Workforce wellbeing](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/workforce-wellbeing/) - It goes without saying that the last few years have presented council and local authority staff with real life challenges, while the cost of living continues to bite.
- [A carbon reduction code for buildings ](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/a-carbon-reduction-code-for-buildings/) - Carbon emissions from the construction of public buildings and infrastructure usually sit outside the scope of local authorities’ carbon reduction plans, yet often represent more than half of a council’s total emissions.
- [Vulnerable residents deserve better](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/vulnerable-residents-deserve-better/) - As ever with previous government announcements, the Autumn Statement from the Chancellor was more about what wasn’t in there as much as what was.
- [Beefing up member peer support](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/beefing-up-member-peer-support/) - The peer support package offered by the LGA continues to be the cornerstone of the sector support programme for our membership.
- [Pressure remains on public services](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/lga-chairman/pressure-remains-on-public-services/) - The Chancellor delivered his Autumn Statement on 22 November, setting out plans to support businesses and get more people into work, and to invest in infrastructure and levelling up.
- [Renters have been let down for too long](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/renters-have-been-let-down-for-too-long/) - In the first King’s Speech in more than 70 years, the Conservatives showed they do not have a plan to fix the fundamental problems facing the country – they are more interested in saving their own skin.
- [Graduate recruitment](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/graduate-recruitment/) - Injecting new talent into local government.
- [Diverse by design](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/diverse-by-design/) - A social care workforce that reflects our communities will serve them better.
- [Turning empty houses into homes](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/turning-empty-houses-into-homes/) - A new report aims to help bring vacant properties back into use.
- [Largest children’s care providers ‘made £300m profit’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/largest-childrens-care-providers-made-300m-profit/) - The largest independent providers of children’s social care made profits of more than £300 million last year, according to an LGA-commissioned report.
- [£1bn announced for levelling up ](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/1bn-announced-for-levelling-up/) - New levelling up funding of £1 billion has been awarded to 55 projects across the UK, to develop better transport links and kick-start regeneration in town centres.
- [Vouchers for infant milk ‘need 20 per cent uplift’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/vouchers-for-infant-milk-need-20-uplift/) - The value of the Healthy Start scheme needs to increase by 20 per cent to compensate for increases in the cost of food, new LGA analysis has found.
- [£8.3bn boost for road repairs](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/8-3bn-boost-for-road-repairs/) - The Government has announced £8.3 billion of extra funding, re-directed from HS2, to help improve local roads in England.
- [Asylum seeker hotels to close](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/asylum-seeker-hotels-to-close/) - Fifty hotels will be closed to asylum seekers by January, the Government has announced.
- [Government rejects four-day week](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/government-rejects-four-day-week/) - Councils in England have been told not to adopt four-day working weeks and the only council currently trialling such a scheme has been put under review.
- [‘Inflationary storm’ adds to £4bn funding gap](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/inflationary-storm-adds-to-4bn-funding-gap/) - Councils in England face a funding gap of £4 billion over the next two years – a £1 billion increase since the LGA’s initial analysis in July.
- [Leading the journey to net zero](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/leading-the-journey-to-net-zero/) - A life-size white elephant called HS2 greeted us as we arrived to support so many of our inspiring councillors at the Green Party Conference in Brighton in October.
- [Conference highlights need for Conservatives in local government](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/conference-highlights-need-for-conservatives-in-local-government/) - Party conference has enabled Conservative local leaders to come together to share ideas and contribute policy.
- [Providing local value for money](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/providing-local-value-for-money/) - Dealing with the budgetary and financial pressures facing councils continues to dominate the focus of the LGA and our teams, ahead of the Autumn Statement on 22 November.
- [A better approach ](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/a-better-approach/) - The needs of women who have involvement from children’s social care while pregnant or during the first two years of their child’s life are acute, yet all too often overlooked, amid siloed and overstretched services.
- [Innovative approaches to healthy ageing](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/innovative-approaches-to-healthy-ageing/) - By 2050, a quarter of the UK population will be 65 years or over. Yet, a 65-year-old today will live less than half their remaining years in good health.
- [Cyber unpacked](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/cyber-unpacked/) - The LGA has produced new resources to help councillors with cyber security.
- [Improving health and care services](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/improving-health-and-care-services/) - More focus is needed on prevention and the funding of adult social care.
- [£1.1 billion long-term plan for ‘overlooked’ towns](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/1-1-billion-long-term-plan-for-overlooked-towns/) - More than 50 ‘overlooked’ UK towns will each be given £20 million over a 10-year period to help regenerate high streets and tackle antisocial behaviour, the Government has announced.
- [LG white paper – have your say](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/lg-white-paper-have-your-say/) - The LGA has launched a ‘call for evidence’ from councils to help inform its work on a Local Government White Paper.
- [Children’s mental health](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/childrens-mental-health/) - A series of new think pieces is exploring issues and solutions.
- [One step forward…](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/local-by-elections/one-step-forward/) - Labour’s victory in the Rutherglen and Hamilton West parliamentary by-election ensures that the imminent contests in Mid Bedfordshire and Tamworth will be examined for further evidence of a resurgence.
- [Race and political leadership](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/race-and-political-leadership/) - The LGA’s weekender events for black, Asian and minority ethnic councillors go from strength to strength.
- [‘Systemic’ challenges to children’s services ](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/systemic-challenges-to-childrens-services/) - Children’s services are continuing to deliver improvements and sustain strong performance, according to a new report commissioned by the LGA.
- [Step ahead](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/step-ahead/) - The LGA is launching a new campaign to help support care leavers.
- [‘Patchwork’ support no help into work](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/patchwork-support-no-help-into-work/) - Nearly nine million people who are economically inactive risk being left out of work for even longer, because of a complex patchwork of national schemes that fail to directly address their needs, the LGA has warned.
- [Councils vital to vaccine uptake](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/councils-vital-to-vaccine-uptake/) - Winter is approaching, and with it comes a seasonal increase in respiratory infections.
- [Rallying for local government](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/rallying-for-local-government/) - Labour says it will grow every corner of our country.
- [Local people’s priorities](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/local-peoples-priorities/) - A long-term plan for towns was announced at the Conservative Party Conference.
- [Gearing up for the General Election](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/features/gearing-up-for-the-general-election/) - Housing and community policing were among the issues discussed at the Lib Dems’ autumn conference.
- [‘Extraordinary intervention’ needed on audit delays](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/extraordinary-intervention-needed-on-audit-delays/) - Only five out of 467 local government bodies had published their 2022/23 accounts with an auditor’s certificate or opinion by the end of September.
- [Finding solidarity through culture](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/finding-solidarity-through-culture/) - One year ago, Liverpool found out that a milestone moment in the city’s history was about to become a reality.
- [Winter warmers to tackle loneliness](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/winter-warmers-to-tackle-loneliness/) - The Big Lunch has become the UK’s largest community-led fundraiser and neighbourhood get-together.
- [English-Welsh partnership marches forward](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/english-welsh-partnership-marches-forward/) - We’re all passionate about wanting the best for the people we represent. It’s also in our interests for neighbouring authorities to thrive, because, collectively, we all benefit.
- [Being a supportive employer](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/being-a-supportive-employer/) - ‘You’re a woman. You will just have to learn to live with it.’
- [An agenda we can deliver](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/an-agenda-we-can-deliver/) - Local government has been steadily squeezed by austerity, inflation and centralisation over the years.
- [Labour is ready to govern](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/group-leaders/labour-is-ready-to-govern/) - It was great to meet so many colleagues and friends in Liverpool for this year’s Labour Party conference.
- [All councils need bus franchising powers – LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/all-councils-need-bus-franchising-powers-lga/) - Councils need new powers to decide the way local bus services are delivered to end a ‘spiral of decline’ in services.
- [DIY waste ban ‘could mean tip closures’](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/diy-waste-ban-could-mean-tip-closures/) - Banning councils from charging households to leave DIY waste at recycling centres could mean tip closures and reduced hours in some council areas, an LGA survey has found.
- [Rural voters want change](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/comment/rural-voters-want-change/) - It has been clear over the past few weeks that we are preparing for a General Election.
- [‘Trust councils to make transport decisions’ ](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/trust-councils-to-make-transport-decisions/) - ‘Trust councils to make transport decisions’ Councils, not Whitehall, should be trusted to make decisions about local transport issues with their residents, the LGA has said, in response to the Government’s ‘Plan for drivers’.
- [Cities ‘could boost growth’ by £100bn a year](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/news/cities-could-boost-growth-by-100bn-a-year/) - Bringing the economic performance of the UK’s major regional cities up to that of their European peers could add £100 billion or around 5 per cent to the nation’s GDP each year.
- [Disabled councillors](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/councillor/disabled-councillors/) - The LGA is offering disabled councillors free one-to-one coaching sessions focused on leadership development.

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- [Annual conference 2022](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/annual-conference-2022/)
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- [housing social housing](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/housing-social-housing/)
- [Efficiency](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/efficiency/)
- [Pride](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/pride/)
- [Parliament](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/parliament/)
- [anti-social behaviour](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/anti-social-behaviour/)
- [legislation](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/legislation/)
- [new government](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/new-government/)
- [cultural and leisure services](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/cultural-and-leisure-services/)
- [autism](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/autism/)
- [Queen Elizabeth II](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/queen-elizabeth-ii/)
- [NHS](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/nhs/)
- [dentist](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/dentist/)
- [heatwave](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/heatwave/)
- [vaccinations](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/vaccinations/)
- [conservative party conference](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/conservative-party-conference/)
- [electrical charging](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/electrical-charging/)
- [voucher scheme](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/voucher-scheme/)
- [families](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/families/)
- [labour party conference](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/labour-party-conference/)
- [Independent party conference](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/independent-party-conference/)
- [EDI](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/edi/)
- [BAME](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/bame/)
- [design](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/design/)
- [Autumn Statement](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/autumn-statement/)
- [Debate not hate](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/debate-not-hate/)
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- [health and safety](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/health-and-safety/)
- [modern slavery](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/modern-slavery/)
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- [sector-led support](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/sector-led-support/)
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- [Annual Conference 2023](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/annual-conference-2023/)
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- [Holocaust Memorial Day](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/holocaust-memorial-day/)
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- [District Councils' Network](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/district-councils-network/)
- [Annual Conference 2024](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/annual-conference-2024/)
- [special needs](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/special-needs/)
- [roads](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/roads/)
- [King's speech](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/kings-speech/)
- [Violence](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/violence/)
- [events](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/events/)
- [sector support](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/sector-support/)
- [development](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/development/)
- [learning](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/learning-2/)
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- [pharmacy](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/pharmacy/)
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- [LGA](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/lga/)
- [Consevative party conference](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/consevative-party-conference/)
- [graduate programme](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/graduate-programme/)
- [Inclusion and diversity](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/inclusion-and-diversity/)
- [rural](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/rural/)
- [economy](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/economy/)
- [tax](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/tax/)
- [sexual health](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/sexual-health/)
- [LGA Annual Conference](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/lga-annual-conference/)
- [procurement](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/procurement/)
- [cash](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/cash/)
- [banking](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/banking/)
- [AI](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/ai/)
- [flood](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/flood/)
- [funding](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/funding/)
- [solar](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/solar/)
- [farming](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/farming/)
- [strategy](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/strategy/)
- [reforms](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/reforms/)
- [framework](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/framework/)
- [welsh](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/welsh/)
- [growth](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/growth/)
- [councillor interview](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/councillor-interview/)
- [free school meal](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/free-school-meal/)
- [electoral reform](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/electoral-reform/)
- [Local Government reorganization](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/local-government-reorganization/)
- [Planning system](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/planning-system/)
- [inequalities](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/inequalities/)
- [leisure](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/leisure/)
- [UKREiiF](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/ukreiif/)
- [Building](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/building/)
- [hospital](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/hospital/)
- [street works](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/street-works/)
- [fostering](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/fostering/)
- [public service](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/public-service/)
- [annual conference 2025](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/annual-conference-2025/)
- [city](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/city/)
- [Reform](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/reform/)
- [Independents](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/independents/)
- [mobile phone theft](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/mobile-phone-theft/)
- [councillors](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/councillors/)
- [Party conferences](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/party-conferences/)
- [regeneration](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/regeneration/)
- [Autumn Budget](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/autumn-budget/)
- [violence against women and girls](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/violence-against-women-and-girls/)
- [National Recruitment campaign](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/national-recruitment-campaign/)
- [Disabled Councillors](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/disabled-councillors/)
- [consultation](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/consultation/)
- [Crime](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/crime/)
- [technology](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/technology/)
- [family](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/family/)
- [LGBTQ+](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/lgbtq/)
- [local government reorganisation](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/local-government-reorganisation/)
- [Domestic abuse](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/domestic-abuse/)
- [local elections](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/local-elections/)
- [Fly-tipping](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/fly-tipping/)
- [investment](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/investment/)
- [vaping](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/vaping/)
- [smoking](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/smoking/)
- [council tax](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/council-tax/)
- [Health hub](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/health-hub/)
- [Councillor Forum](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/tag/councillor-forum/)

## Hero image

- [Hero image Opt-in](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/hero_images/hero-image/)

## Groups Leaders

- [Labour](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/group_leaders/labour/)
- [Conservative](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/group_leaders/conservative/)
- [Liberal Democrat](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/group_leaders/liberal-democrat/)
- [Independent](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/group_leaders/independent/)
- [Reform](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/group_leaders/reform/)
- [Chair](https://www.lgafirst.co.uk/group_leaders/chair/)