Coronavirus
Employers offer 1.5% 'paltry' pay rise
Councils are facing a £279m increase to the national pay bill after offering 1.5m employees a 1.5% increase for 2021-22.
Call for 'surge vaccine supplies' as Indian variant spreads
Local public health experts have asked the Government for ‘surge vaccine supplies’ amid anxiety over the spread of the Indian variant of coronavirus.
More than 100 leisure centres could go bust, DCN warns
More than 100 leisure centres in England could go bust due to the coronavirus crisis, district councils have warned.
Javid: Devolution crucial in levelling up
Former local government secretary Sajid Javid has stressed the importance of devolution in the drive towards levelling up the country.
Local elections 2021: Addressing low pay and inequality
Those elected on 6 May must not miss the opportunity to secure better working lives for local people, argues Rachel Kay.
We must give better support to COVID's young carers
The pandemic has led to more children and young people taking on new caring roles, and they need to be identified and offered assessment for support. Charlotte Ramsden explains.
Building back differently
Andrea George says a cohesive vision for reviving high streets and town centres calls for long-term public-private partnership and engaging with the community to shape detailed, tailored masterplans.
Birmingham lays out its latest plans for building a fairer city
Birmingham City Council is poised to present an update to its Cabinet on the city’s plans to make tackling inequalities everyone’s battle and everyone’s business, says Cllr John Cotton.
EXCLUSIVE: MHCLG pushes ahead with exit pay data demands
The Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) is pushing ahead with demanding data on exit payments from councils despite criticism of the proposals.
Local elections 2021: The system creaked in the face of the number of polls
There were a variety of problems both ahead of and during polling day, says Peter Stanyon.
Queen's Speech: No funding pledge on social care reform
The Queen’s Speech fell short of including a social care Bill and there was no pledge on funding.
Local elections 2021: The process demands too much of teams
Ian Miller ponders the impact of Super Thursday on the mental health of electoral teams, and says the demands are excessive, even in a ‘normal’ election.
The end of council virtual meetings. What’s next?
David Kitson of Bevan Brittan says councils should now focus on how they can safely facilitate meetings - and he considers alternatives to the pre-pandemic arrangements.
In emergencies, we need to plug the gaps in the social safety net
Discretionary cash support must be included in the toolbox for any major emergency response, says British Red Cross hardship fund programme manager Alex Ballard.
Local elections 2021: Ideas for new administrations
Tom Lloyd Goodwin of CLES lays out eight approaches to tackling the range of problems that threaten to overwhelm the in-trays of new local government and devolved administrations.
Local results will supercharge the levelling up ambitions
The Conservative government is now set to enjoy an assured position of dominance and power at local and national level, says chief executive of Localis Jonathan Werran.
It’s time to secure the future of social care, says Lord Bob Kerslake
Lord Bob Kerslake hands on the presidency of the LGA to Baroness Tanni Grey-Thompson in July. The social care system and its funding is an urgent priority that must be addressed now, he believes.
Forcing councils to physically meet risks ‘democratic deficit’
Councils in England should be ‘trusted to continue to deliver virtual meetings successfully as they are in Wales and Scotland,’ says chair of ADSO John Austin.
MJ Housing: Affordability, sustainablity, economy – the housing challenges
After his four year stint as chief executive of Homes England, Nick Walkley has a clear understanding of the challenges facing the housing sector – and where local government fits in. He talks to Heather Jameson about what he has learned.
Employment law: a post lockdown view
As lockdown eases, lawyer Louise Carr takes a look at the issues new ways of working raise for local government employers, including ensuring consistency of opportunity.
