Devolution | LocalGov

Ministry confirms 18 councils seeking election postponement

16/01/2025

The Government has officially revealed that it has received requests to postpone elections this year from 18 councils.

Council leader calls for Woking BC debt ‘write off’

14/01/2025

The leader of Surrey County Council has urged the Government to ‘write off’ £1bn of Woking BC's debt to enable the creation of a unitary authority.

LGA: Councils with ‘scarce resources’ need reorganisation support

13/01/2025

Councils that have bid to be on the fast-track for new devolution deals and reorganisation need extra funding and a quick decision on local elections, the LGA says.

Fifteen county areas bid to fast-track devolution and reorganisation

10/01/2025

Fifteen county areas are bidding to be on Labour's fast-track for new devolution deals and local government reorganisation (LGR) with all applying to postpone May elections to make this possible.

Voters ‘set to be deprived of local democracy’

10/01/2025

The District Councils’ Network has warned that millions of voters will be ‘deprived of their local democracy’ due to plans to postpone some county council elections.

McMahon: No cap on devo priority programme

10/01/2025

There will be no cap on the number of areas included in the Government's devolution priority programme, a minister has said.

Rayner rejects reorganisation 'distraction' claim

08/01/2025

Deputy prime minister Angela Rayner has denied that local government reorganisation will impact on councils' ability to deliver services.

Warwickshire urged not to request election delay

08/01/2025

Four district councils in Warwickshire have urged the county council not to request a delay to its local elections this year.

Devon districts rally against unitarisation

07/01/2025

Devon’s eight district councils have joined forces to oppose the creation of a unitary authority for the county.

Elections in limbo as devo deadline looms

06/01/2025

County councils across England will decide this week whether to ask the Government to postpone this year's elections in order to reorganise and pursue devolution.

Tories set five tests for restructuring

24/12/2024

The Conservatives have set five tests for local government restructure as they hit back at Labour attempts to ‘dictate' to councils over the move.

Herts reorganisation threatens representation, leaders warn

24/12/2024

A single unitary council for Hertfordshire ‘risks diminishing local representation’, local leaders warn.

Exeter to make unitary bid in local government reorganisation

23/12/2024

Exeter City Council is set to make an independent bid for unitary status under the Government’s reorganisation plans.

Devolution revolution: Practical next steps for local authorities

20/12/2024

After a flurry of announcements affecting local government in the build-up to Christmas, councils must ensure they’re ready to get ahead of the curve in the New Year. Laura Hughes, partner at Browne Jacobson, offers some advice on this front.

CCN backs reorganisation

19/12/2024

The chair of the County Councils' Network (CCN), Tim Oliver, has backed radical Government plans to abolish dozens of local authorities by 2027.

What councils would like for Christmas

17/12/2024

Jonathan Carr-West, chief executive of the LGIU, reflects on the English Devolution White Paper and considers what councils will be asking for this Christmas.

Rayner to launch public sector rewire White Paper

16/12/2024

Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner will kick off a huge rewiring of public service reform with the launch of the devolution White Paper in Leeds later today.

Council delays name change

13/12/2024

Tewkesbury Borough Council has pushed back changing its name amid delays to the Government’s devolution white paper.

South East councils on brink of ‘crisis’

04/12/2024

The local government system in the South East of England is on ‘the brink of looming crisis’, according to a think-tank.

Devolution would help skills 'mismatch' - report

03/12/2024

Government should give local areas greater powers over skills to address the ‘mismatch' of people needed for future industries, Birmingham Uni has urged.

Councils brace for reorganisation push

25/11/2024

Six counties in the east of England are expected to be among those at the front of the queue for local government reorganisation, it has been reported.

MPs call for the scrapping of 15 councils

25/11/2024

A group of Labour MPs have called for the abolition of Lancashire’s 15 councils in a bid to simplify local government in the county.

Elected mayor 'stumbling block' warning

21/11/2024

Ministers' insistence on a directly-elected mayor is ‘fast appearing on the horizon as a major stumbling block for English devolution', expert warns.

Suffolk talks devo with minister

19/11/2024

Suffolk CC's leader has said he remains committed to devolution in the county ‘streamlining local government' following a meeting with minister Jim McMahon.

London mayor calls for Right to Buy devolution

18/11/2024

Mayor of London Sadiq Khan has called on the Government to devolve control over Right to Buy to the capital.

Call for new cultural powers for mayors

05/11/2024

Mayors in England should be handed significant new powers and responsibilities over the creative, cultural and heritage life of their regions, according to a new report.

Budget: Authorities to get single funding settlements

30/10/2024

The Government has announced the first six authorities eligible to receive single funding settlements.

Budget: Reorganisation confirmed in high tax, high spend Budget

30/10/2024

Local government reorganisation – and the efficiency savings it will make – were confirmed in Budget documents today.

EXCLUSIVE: Government to launch full reorganisation

28/10/2024

Plans for full local government reorganisation could be mooted as soon as this week's Budget, The MJ understands.

Fresh round of devolution talks for Norfolk launched

11/10/2024

A fresh round of devolution talks between Norfolk County Council and the Government was launched this week following a decision to halt an earlier £600m deal.

Mayors can relieve council pressures, says report

09/10/2024

Mayoral combined authorities (MCAs) can help with long-standing policy challenges in public services as well as boosting economic growth, a think-tank has argued.

Councils call on Government to 'back up its rhetoric' on devolution

04/10/2024

Councils have called for the Government to ‘back up its rhetoric' by devolving powers across England.

LGA calls for devolution of retrofit funding

30/09/2024

The Local Government Association (LGA) has urged the Government to use the Autumn Budget to devolve all funding for retrofitting social and fuel poor homes to councils.

Staffordshire leaders kick off devolution conversation

30/09/2024

Council leaders across Staffordshire and Stoke-on-Trent have written to the Government to begin a conversation about devolution.

Wessex councils join forces for devolution

30/09/2024

Dorset, Somerset, and Wiltshire councils are set to submit expressions of interest in devolution in response to a request from the Government.

Further devolution needed to drive energy efficiency measures

25/09/2024

Devolution of funding is needed so that mayoral combined authorities can take the lead in delivering energy efficiency upgrades to homes, a new report says.

Rayner confirms four devolution agreements

19/09/2024

Four devolution agreements have been signed off in what the secretary of state for local government describes as ‘only the first step’ of a devolution drive.

'Financial emergency' council advised to join combined authority

16/09/2024

North Somerset Council will consider entering talks to join the West of England Combined Authority.

Labour scraps counties' devo deals

13/09/2024

Norfolk and Suffolk CCs have revealed the new Labour Government has scrapped the directly-elected county leader devolution deals agreed with the Conservatives.

Cheshire and Warrington councils talk devolution

05/09/2024

Local authorities in Cheshire and Warrington have made some ‘positive’ steps along the road to devolution.

Gough: Local government under water

04/09/2024

‘Big changes' to tackle the ‘structural problems' facing local government are needed to help councils survive but ‘priority' is devolution, Kent leader says.

Fiscal devolution could lead to greater inequalities, warns IFS

03/09/2024

Devolution must come with reform of council funding allocations or it could worsen inequalities, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) think-tank has warned.

Think-tank calls for £6bn devolution to tackle economic inactivity

02/09/2024

A think-tank has argued that the Government should transfer £6bn to local government in a bid to tackle economic inactivity.

Six club together for South Midlands devolution

27/08/2024

Steps are being taken towards forming a devolution proposal covering six councils in the South Midlands.

Cheshire devolution talks gain pace

19/08/2024

A partnership of three Cheshire councils is said to have emerged as an ‘early candidate’ for accelerated talks on devolution with the new Government.

Devolution deals in limbo as new proposals emerge

14/08/2024

Work is underway on a flurry of new devolution proposals despite a string of deals remaining in limbo.

Government urged to devolve council tax powers

31/07/2024

The Government should devolve the power to fix council tax rates to local authorities, a think-tank has urged.

McMahon: Existing devolution deals may be improved

26/07/2024

Local government minister Jim McMahon has said it is down to the Government to make devolution ‘attractive enough' for councils.

Devolution ‘essential’ to Labour's growth mission

25/07/2024

Devolution reforms will be essential if Labour is to fulfil its mission of nationwide growth, a new report has argued.

South East Councils calls for ‘seat’ at the devolution table

24/07/2024

Councils in the South East of England have written to the Government voicing concerns that they could be at a disadvantage in the ‘devolution revolution’.

Minister voices concern over districts' role in devolution

22/07/2024

District councils should be handed a greater role in devolution talks, a minister has said.

King's Speech: Devolution takes centre stage

17/07/2024

The announcement of an English Devolution Bill took centre stage in the King's Speech.

King's Speech: A plan for devolution

17/07/2024

The new Labour Government has set out a widespread plan for devolution and economic growth in its Parliamentary timetable, with central diktat reserved for planning proposals.

Taking Back Control: Why climate action needs devolution

17/07/2024

Christopher Hammond, UK100 chief executive and former council leader, argues that devolution is essential for tackling climate change.

Rayner promises ‘new devolution revolution’

16/07/2024

Angela Rayner will today write to local leaders urging them to work with Government on delivering ‘the most ambitious programme of devolution' ever seen.

Rayner: Labour ready to ‘transfer power out of Whitehall’

09/07/2024

Deputy PM Angela Rayner is set to tell regional mayors that Labour is ready to ‘transfer power out of Whitehall’ through a major programme of devolution.

Mayor tells Labour to ‘commit’ to the Northern Powerhouse

08/07/2024

The new Labour Government should ‘commit early to the Northern Powerhouse’, says the mayor of Greater Manchester.

Fresh calls for fiscal devo

04/07/2024

Backers of fiscal devolution have urged the government elected today to reconsider the policy despite their lobbying failing to get it mentioned in the manifestos.

NextGov: Devolutionary road

24/06/2024

Jonathan Werran, the chief executive of think-tank Localis, discusses what the next government should do to extend devolution.

Manchester legend Sir Howard Bernstein dies

22/06/2024

Former chief executive of Manchester City Council, Sir Howard Bernstein, has died, aged 71.

Warnings over Labour devolution drive

20/06/2024

A Labour drive to fill in the devolution map will take time and energy away from deepening devolution in areas that have already secured deals, expert warns.

Birmingham councillor becomes West Midlands deputy mayor

17/06/2024

The deputy leader of Birmingham City Council has been appointed as the deputy mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA).

‘Existential crisis’ for councils as £6bn funding gap revealed

06/06/2024

A new Local Government White Paper has uncovered a £6.2bn funding gap facing councils in England over the next two years.

Devolution deal delayed due to election

03/06/2024

Council leaders in the North West have reaffirmed their commitment to achieving a devolution deal despite election delay.

Call to fix ‘incomplete patchwork’ of devolution deals

13/05/2024

The next government must extend devolution to 85% of England to address an ‘incomplete patchwork of mismatched deals’, a think-tank has argued.

Mayors meet to hear growth plans

13/05/2024

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has summoned his party’s newly-elected mayors for a meeting to detail his plans for economic growth.

Unitary transfers services to town council in ‘historic’ deal

08/05/2024

Somerset Council has passed on several functions to a local town council after it narrowly managed to set a balanced budget with a pledge to devolve powers.

Torbay councillors back devolution bid

02/05/2024

Torbay Council members have given the green light to the creation of a new Devon and Torbay Combined County Authority (CCA).

Devon councillors back devolution bid

30/04/2024

Devon County Council members have voted in favour of going ahead with plans that could see more power transferred from Whitehall to Devon and Torbay.

What is a metro mayor?

25/04/2024

A metro mayor is directly elected by local people to oversee a region’s combined authority.

LGA lobbied over income tax devolution

24/04/2024

The Local Government Association’s (LGA) White Paper should make the case for councils to receive a share of income tax, sector experts have urged.

Addressing regional inequalities

18/04/2024

Andrew Borland, Chief Innovation Officer at the Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC), University of Liverpool discusses the importance of levelling up for growth.

Devon County Council’s long-serving leader steps down

18/04/2024

The leader of Devon County Council has said it is the ‘right time’ to leave the post after 15 years.

Government ignores sugar levy calls

12/04/2024

The Government has ignored Local Government Association (LGA) calls for the sugar levy to be spent by councils to tackle physical inactivity.

Petition calls for creation of new town council

12/04/2024

A petition calling for the creation of a new town council in Salford has been submitted to Salford City Council.

LocalGov Elections: Vote reformation

10/04/2024

Jonathan Werran, chief exec, Localis draws inspiration from a popular podcast on the Reformation to ponder the question of just how local are our politics.

Next Government urged to look at devolving air passenger duty

10/04/2024

The leader of a Labour council in the shadow of Heathrow Airport has urged the next Government to look at devolving air passenger duty (APD).

Think-tank's call for landfill tax devolution

04/04/2024

A think-tank has called for a portion of the proceeds from landfill tax to be devolved to councils.

Devolve NHS England's £168bn budget to local government, says report

02/04/2024

NHS England’s £168bn budget should be handed to local government in a radical restructure, the Reform think-tank has suggested in a report today.

Hull and East Riding finalise devolution proposal

28/03/2024

A devolution proposal for a Hull and East Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority is set to be submitted to the levelling up department.

Parties draw battlelines for local elections

28/03/2024

Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has given a speech in Dudley today following campaign launches by the Conservatives and Lib Dems.

Lincolnshire devolution deal approved

15/03/2024

Lincolnshire CC members have approved a devolution deal for the area which will see the establishment of the Greater Lincolnshire Mayoral Combined County.

The elephant in the budget

12/03/2024

The budget provided support to strengthen growth, but bolder action is required to tackle finances, says Amanda Kelly, local government lead at PA Consulting.

Budget: Chancellor launches productivity push

06/03/2024

Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has unveiled a Budget with little respite for local government but demands for increased public sector productivity.

Coventry to consider £35m for Gigapark investment zone

06/03/2024

Coventry City Council’s cabinet will discuss whether to accept up to £35m of government funding to develop a battery gigafactory as part a new investment zone.

Budget: Trailblazer devo deal for North East

06/03/2024

The North East has secured a trailblazer devolution deal that could provide a package of new funding potentially worth more than £100m, chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced in his Budget.

More areas get level four devolution powers

01/03/2024

West Yorkshire, South Yorkshire and the Liverpool city region will all receive level four devolved powers, local government secretary Michael Gove has announced.

Chancellor urged to provide funding certainty for urban transport

27/02/2024

Transport authorities have called on the Government to prioritise long-term funding certainty for public transport and active travel in city regions in next week’s Spring Budget.

Levelling up requires ‘meaningful’ devolution, business group says

20/02/2024

Business leaders have called for ‘meaningful decision-making powers’ to be devolved to local authorities to help boost left-behind regions.

Major step towards airport reopening

13/02/2024

Councillors have voted to progress plans to reopen Doncaster Sheffield Airport using £138m in devolution funding.

National Apprenticeship Week: The importance of a national skills strategy

05/02/2024

Nichola Hay MBE, director of Apprenticeship Strategy and Policy at BPP, discusses the importance of a national strategy with a regional approach.

Devon and Torbay devolution deal announced

25/01/2024

Devon County Council and Torbay Council are set to enter a level 2 devolution deal with the Government.

Report calls for more devolution to boost creative industries

23/01/2024

The further devolution of powers and funding connected to culture will help tackle economic stagnation and will boost to local communities, study finds.

Levelling up must continue, urges think-tank

22/01/2024

Efforts to level up the country and devolve more powers to local government should continue following the General Election, a think-tank has urged.

First North Yorkshire mayoral election to cost £2m

17/01/2024

The election of the first mayor of a new York and North Yorkshire Combined Authority is set to cost £2.2m, a council report has revealed.

West Midlands pilots £24m energy support scheme

16/01/2024

Small businesses across the West Midlands are being offered support to cut their gas and electricity usage.

Manchester leads list for local government in New Year honours

02/01/2024

The chief executives of both Manchester City Council and the Greater Manchester Combined Authority have been recognised in the New Year Honours List.

‘Growth zones’ for West Midlands in UK first

22/12/2023

The West Midlands is to become the first UK region to receive new ‘growth zone’ powers, which the combined authority said could generate £1.7bn.

Five unitaries moot devolution deal

18/12/2023

A ‘non-binding expression of interest’ is expected to be submitted to the Government in February.

Local authority leaders criticise minimum service levels

11/12/2023

'Unfair’ and ‘undemocratic’ minimum service levels will lead to ‘more frequent and longer strikes’, according to mayors and council leaders from across UK.

The AI opportunity for government is now image

The AI opportunity for government is now

After Prime Minister Keir Starmer announced the Government’s AI ambitions this week, Russell Goodenough, head of AI for CGI in the UK and Australia, discusses the benefits AI could bring to the UK’s public sector.
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