LGIU is really pleased to be renewing our election-time partnership with Vuelio so that we can once again make sure that LGIU members have the very best news, insight and commentary for the whole of the local elections period in England.
As we look ahead to this year’s local elections, it is a good time to reflect on the importance of strong democracy at the local level for the health of democracy in general, writes Dr Andrew Walker LGIU’s Head of Research.
While this election time in Northern Ireland brings the usual existential messaging from local parties, woeful analysis from those in North London, and speculations of what each election means for the long-standing divisions, this article outlines the key outlook for the upcoming elections and what changes we might see across local government.
Across Scotland, there is a total of 42,865 long-term empty homes. This article from Andy Moseley, Policy and Projects Manager at the Scottish Empty Homes Partnerships shines a spotlight on the true scale of vacancy in Scotland and how local government can be forefront in tackling this critical issue head-on.
Across Europe, local government is at the forefront of addressing the scourge of vacancy and dereliction across town centres and communities. In Ireland, Mayo County Council is tackling the issue head-on and we chatted with Thomas Gilligan, Director of Services at the council to find out just how.
This week, the long-term sustainability of Ireland’s planning system was under the spotlight, along with DUP MP Jim Shannon tabling a motion in the House of Commons to celebrate Dolly Parton. Catch up now on all the latest news, policy and resources (including planning and housing updates) in our weekly round-up.
As always, your weekly All Things Scotland round-up highlights all the key updates and reports along with everything you may have missed – including a new case study on how Scottish local authorities are addressing in-work poverty and an exclusive interview with COSLA Vice President, Steven Heddle.
LGIU Associate, Alice Creasy interviewed Eleni Myrivili, Chief Heat Officer for the City of Athens to discuss the work the city is doing to proactively tackle the issues caused by climate change and extreme heat.
In this think piece, Dr. Greg Stride from LGIU’s Local Democracy Research Centre asks whether the implementation of voter ID in UK elections will resolve the increasing worry surrounding lost trust in elections and democracy as a whole.
This blog details the experiences of four councils to set up Connecting Devon and Somerset, a public body designed to help local areas with slow broadband. We chatted to members of Devon County Council on the challenges they faced in bringing fast broadband to the remote tourist town of Clovelly.
