first magazine for councillors - the magazine for local government

Photo from above of white arrow on grey background, branching off to left and right, with green, pink and blue, piggy banks at the respective arrow heads, from left to right.

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.

group of people participants at an LGA BAME leadership weekend event

Diversifying leadership

by Grace Collins MBE

The LGA’s BAME leadership programme is celebrating its 20th birthday as councils across the country mark Black History Month.

Local consensus needed on reorganisation

by Councillor Kevin Bentley

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.

Cllr Vikki Slade MP, Liberal Democrat Spokesperson for Housing, Communities and Local Government, speaking from an LGA podium at annual conference.

Call for ‘real’ devolution

by The Editorial Team

‘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.

graphic of row of four human figures holding boxes of votes beneath a downward sloping arrow

Low turnout ‘troubling’

by Professors Colin Rallings and Michael Thrasher

Thirteen by-elections followed the resignation of Labour councillors after being voted into Parliament, with a net loss of nine seats.

Close-up of new block of homes being built, with scaffolding alongside red brick walls and wooden roof beams,

Local government set mandatory housing targets

by The Editorial Team

Councils must meet new mandatory housing targets as part of government plans to build 1.5 million homes by the next general election.

photo of sheep grazing on a grassy ridge, with wind turbines on a hilltop beyond in the background

Building momentum for rural prosperity

by Councillor Roger Phillips

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.