Councillors
Tread carefully when talking to members
Passion and professional values have their place but they need to be shaped to take account of the political environment, says Blair Mcpherson.
UPDATED: Tories hold Tees Valley despite heavy losses
Ben Houchen retaining the Tees Valley mayoralty for the Conservatives proved to be the party's only glimmer of hope among a bleak set of local election results.
Auditors issue warning over member-officer relations at district
Teignbridge DC has deployed external support to improve member-officer relations after auditors reported the authority has made little progress since warnings last year.
UK first as council approves stake in low-carbon firm
Shropshire Council is to become joint owner of a firm producing low-carbon materials worth an estimated £133,333 annually to the authority.
Watchdog tells Falkirk to confront 'difficult decisions'
Falkirk Council faces ‘difficult decisions’ to bridge a budget gap of tens of millions, according to Audit Scotland.
James is moving on up
With accusations of a helpful shoe-up the career ladder never far away, having a famous parent has long been a tricky issue for politicians.
The will to win in Wilts
Wiltshire Council was the setting for the latest round of the Local Government Challenge, which focused on ways to support residents through the cost of living crisis. Viola Owembabazi reports.
Council to announce chief after capacity criticism
East Devon DC is hoping to announce its new chief executive early next month after peers said senior level capacity was currently ‘limited’.
LGA to launch 'foundation programme' for new chiefs
The Local Government Association (LGA) is to introduce a ‘significant new foundation programme’ for newly-appointed chief executives after a ‘successful’ pilot.
Battle lines drawn for local elections
Rows over levelling up have dominated the opening clashes as campaigning kicked off for next month’s local elections.
LGA looks to do more to help officers
The Local Government Association (LGA) is looking to do more to help officers fulfil their roles as part of a policy shift for the politically-led organisation.
'Business as usual' for Lancashire councillors despite resignations
Councillors in Lancashire have insisted it will be ‘business as usual’ despite 20 resignations in protest at the leadership of the national Labour party.
He’s no chicken
It’s not every day that you see a councillor wearing a mask – at least not since the pandemic.
Officer-councillor tensions affecting outcomes, review finds
‘Clear and obvious tensions’ between Teignbridge DC’s executive and senior leadership team are ‘inhibiting progress and damaging the council’s reputation,’ a review has warned.
Government 'may have underestimated' mandatory reporting impact
The Home Office may have underestimated the additional number of child sexual abuse (CSA) cases when mandatory reporting is introduced, experts have warned.
Councillors back Greater Lincolnshire devolution deal
Proposals for a mayoral devolution deal for Greater Lincolnshire have been approved by the three upper-tier councils.
'Housing emergency' council calls for Whitehall action
A council that recently declared a housing emergency has written to six Whitehall departments, urging them to ‘take decisive action’ because the situation is deteriorating.
BCP breaks the glass ceiling
Writing for International Women’s Day, Bournemouth, Christchurch and Poole Council’s leader Cllr Vikki Slade says it’s time to celebrate progress on female representation within the local authority.
Scottish Budget 'not good' for communities
Next year’s Scottish Budget is ‘not good’ for communities, council leaders have said.
Nine nice people
Diary is sure there are a lot of nice councillors at East Devon DC.