Local elections
The steps to success as a new councillor
John Tizard explains how councillors elected in May can best fulfil the commitment to their communities and champion the interests of the people they represent.
A battle cry for strong councils
Communities suffer when Government is centralised, says leader of the Lib Dems Sir Ed Davey – and he believes local government is vital to fixing many of the issues that plague society.
Every vote counted in North Yorkshire
Paul Shevlin says drawing lots is a rare occurrence and one that put the newly-formed North Yorkshire Council elections under the national spotlight and brought a remarkable end to his career as a deputy returning officer.
The reluctant councillor
The big secret in local elections is that most of the candidates don’t expect to be elected.
What does employer brand mean for new elected members?
Nancy Scott looks at the increased focus on public leaders at a time when diversity of thought has never been more important, and how those involved in making appointments need to think more carefully about their organisation's evolving needs.
Changing the culture for our councillors
Local authorities need to offer new councillors a welcoming and safe culture that embraces diversity, says Ed Hammond. With an election cycle just complete there’s an ideal chance for engagement and change, he believes.
So, what happens when the political calculations around levelling up change?
Recent events threaten to disrupt the flagship levelling up agenda we were told would be nothing short of system change for how the country is governed, says Jessica Studdert.
Arithmetic matters
The new director of IPPR North, Zoë Billingham, speaks to Ann McGauran about taking on the role at a time of political and economic turmoil, and gives her verdict on how the Government’s flagship levelling up policy is shaping up.
The results reinforce the realignment of Britain's electoral geography
Ben Page says 'nationally the Conservatives are hurting, but you wouldn’t bet against them winning again, despite "levelling up" being the policy area voters think they are worst at'.
Shifting local elections to the spotlight
Dr Jonathan Carr-West says local elections represent a chance for people to express their views about national politics, but they deserve more than being treated solely as a backdrop to the Westminster soap opera.
Pondering the polls
Peter Stanyon scrutinises how the polls went and turns his attention to the implementation challenges involved as the Elections Act 2022 comes in.
Conservatives lose nearly 500 seats in local elections
The results are in for all 200 councils up for election, with the Conservatives losing 11 local authorities.
Government must rethink its approach to poor governance and behaviour in councils
Solace supports all of the Committee on Standards in Public Life report's recommendations on standards in local government, but without Government action on sanctions this will never gain the traction required, says Graeme McDonald.
These elections are by no means a done deal
Let’s hope that with the focus of this week’s vote, the Government redoubles its efforts to level up, and goes much further to protect people from economic winds out of their control says Zoë Billingham.
No major gains expected as local elections loom
Labour and the Conservatives are unlikely to make any huge wins at next week’s local elections, insiders have suggested.
Why do we bother with elections?
Forces beyond the control of the government of your country or local area will have a major role in determining what happens in your life, says Dan Corry. So why do we fight so hard for our right to cast our vote?
Calculating the complex equation of local elections
If fear of failure at the local elections prompts action on the cost of living crisis, perhaps it is no bad thing – even if it doesn’t directly hand cash back to councils, says Heather Jameson.
Highways improvement comes top of pre-elections poll
Half of Britons believe the improvement of roads and pavements should be prioritised, according to a new poll ahead of the local elections.
Councillors complain of lack of powers
More than two out of three (68%) councillors in England feel they lack sufficient powers to represent the needs of their communities, a survey today by the Electoral Reform Society campaign group has found.
Rebooting council electoral services in Bracknell
Ann Moore outlines why Bracknell Forest Council took the decision to invest in a technological end-to-end electoral management solution.
