first magazine for councillors - the magazine for local government

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.

A new multi-party system

by Professors Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher

The council elections on 1 May opened a fissure in the pattern of local government in England.

photo of UK pound coins sitting on UK bank notes

Time to end ‘sticking plaster’ funding for councils, says LGA

by The Editorial Team

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.

sad young boy sitting on bed in hotel room

Record number of children in temporary accommodation

by The Editorial Team

More than 164,000 children in England are currently living in temporary accommodation – the highest figure on record.

new houses being built with scaffolding around them and some complete, with yellow dumper truck in foreground between piles of sand, gravel and other building materials

Reforming the planning system

by The Editorial Team

Councillors play a vital role in reflecting local needs.

Cllr Sam Chapman-Allen, Chair of the District Councils’ Network, speaking at DCN’s annual conference in April,

An opportunity to shake things up

by Councillor Sam Chapman-Allen

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.

photo of a close-up of a ballot card, pen and coloured rosettes on a table

A blueprint for electoral reform

by Peter Stanyon

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.