On 7 May, local elections took place across England, while Wales and Scotland saw national elections. In England specifically, we now have a different political landscape. Some councils have seen a complete change in political administration, and we've seen a significant increase in councils under no overall control. In fact, no overall control now accounts for 49% of English councils. While most of the headlines focused on political momentum and electoral gains, the implications for local government leadership and workforce stability may prove far more significant in the long term.
For chief executives and senior leadership teams, this is not simply a political story. It is increasingly a workforce one. While officers rightly remain politically neutral, organisations themselves are not immune from the effects of political change, public rhetoric and instability. We can't ignore politics, but we can get ahead of how political change impacts the stability of the workforce.
The psychological risk
The sector already faces a fragile talent market. The Local Government Association continues to report widespread recruitment and retention difficulties across senior and specialist roles. Against that backdrop, political transition can quickly become an additional variable in whether candidates decide to apply – or stay away altogether.
In the councils that changed political control, or changed to no overall control in 2025, our research shows that the post-election period has coincided with 20% leadership change at the top table – reinforcing how quickly governance shifts translate into workforce movement at the top of organisations. This could be for a variety of reasons, and one could argue that natural attrition was a factor, but perhaps some of the movement is a little deeper psychologically? This psychological movement doesn't just have an impact on retention, but also attraction and recruitment.
In our daily conversations with candidates looking for their next move, they ask: ‘is the council in a stable or transformative state?', ‘does the council have an aligned future plan longer than an election cycle', ‘are officers respected by politicians', ‘how do residents feel' and, perhaps in every conversation, ‘does this organisation and the direction of travel align with my core values?'
Employment is a psychological connection. For most people it is a primary context for social identity, meaningful connection and the experience of mattering to others. Sixty-six years have passed since Chris Argyris, a Yale and Harvard business professor, won himself a place in a thinker's hall of fame coining the term ‘psychological contract'.
Local government has spent decades building employer brands centred on public service and values and many people are drawn to the sector because of those shared values and motivations. Where periods of political transition create uncertainty around organisational direction or culture, some candidates or indeed the current workforce may pause to consider whether the environment remains aligned with their motivations, beliefs and values.
Research in 2024 from Dr Barbara Piotrowska from the Department of Political Economy at King's College London examined survey data from 34 countries and found that the spill-over effects of political policies may have a more localised impact on the motivation of the public sector workforce. She argues that sector leaders should be mindful of the role of political ideology. In a King's College London article she said: ‘Following a change in government or a shift in the governance system, such as moving from autocracy to democracy, an effective motivation strategy could aim to de-emphasise the ideological and political aspects of work, especially among those who are most likely to be affected and can vary their level of effort.'
In several councils that have seen political transition – and for those 49% of councils in no overall control* – the risk may not be immediate departures, but the quieter loss of discretionary effort, confidence and long-term commitment and the impact on candidate attraction. The councils getting ahead of this are treating recruitment and retention as a strategic risk, not a HR metric.
The role here for leaders is to get ahead of any uncertainty and have a razor-sharp focus on their external and their internal Employer Value Proposition. Structural messaging (new priorities, new administration, new opportunities) isn't enough. The messages that resonate most strongly with candidates and the workforce today are about culture, values and what it feels like to work here. This can all be done from a politically neutral lens, but paying attention to changing politics and the impact on talent attraction, recruitment and retention is something the best leaders are doing.
Political change is not a red flag
While this article highlights risks, it's tempting to assume councils that change political control automatically become harder on the recruitment and retention front. From what we have seen, the opposite can be true. The key is getting ahead of the game.
Where chief executives and statutory officers move quickly to establish clarity around governance, member-officer relationships and organisational priorities, the market response can remain remarkably resilient. Some candidates are actively attracted to councils undergoing change because they see the opportunity to:
• Shape culture and align values
• Reset organisational direction
• Play a visible role in leadership during periods of transition.
Councils that retain senior leaders successfully through periods of political transition are often those that move quickly to create clarity and stability. Charlotte Eisenhart, chief executive of the Association of Democratic Services Officers said: ‘Periods of political change are where the strength of an organisation's governance culture really shows. Clear member induction, a shared understanding of roles and consistent reinforcement of expected behaviours aren't "nice to haves", they're what enable officers to operate with confidence, neutrality and professionalism. Done well, they create the stability that both the workforce and incoming administrations rely on.'
The differentiator is rarely politics itself. It is whether the organisation feels stable, respectful and well led. That is why good governance matters so much.
Political change has workforce implications. Good leadership mitigates them
Political change is a natural and healthy part of democracy. But it arrives with potential organisational consequences. In a sector already grappling with workforce shortages, leadership churn and reorganisation and financial fatigue, the post-election environment matters enormously.
The councils that succeed over the next few years may not simply be those with the strongest political mandate and clarity on the future – but those able to create stability, clarity and confidence amid change. This isn't simply a HR challenge; it's one of leadership.
If you're navigating governance changes and want to talk through what it means for your workforce planning, get in touch.
Rachael Morris is an associate partner at Penna, an LHH brand. She leads Penna's national enabling services practice
*Penna research
