Future Local Lab
Local Government ExplainedLGIU in the room: June 2026 sector insights
Welcome to the first edition of LGIU in the Room, our new monthly roundup of the key conversations shaping local government. Drawing on insights from conferences, policy events and roundtables, we share what we’re hearing on the ground across the sector, and what it all means for councils.
Each month, the LGIU team is out across the local government sector – attending conferences, policy events, roundtables and webinars to stay on top of the latest developments and emerging trends.
This new LGIU in the room update brings together our highlights from the events we’ve attended, along with our key takeaways on the issues shaping local government. From devolution and local government finance to reorganisation, leadership and innovation, this gives you a snapshot of the conversations happening across the sector right now.
Local Council Network Parliamentary Reception
📍 London | House of Lords | 🗓️ 15 June
Attendee: Thomas Lynch | Strategic Policy and Practice Manager
“A great opportunity to attend the first Parliamentary reception for the new Local Councils Network and meet colleagues from across the sector grappling with the ‘perfect storm’ of local government reorganisation, devolution and neighbourhood reforms.
It was great to catch up with our friends at Local Partnerships, meet the new LCN Chief, Jonathan Stephenson, as he takes over from Trevor Holden, and to test our thinking on fiscal devolution with others in the room.”
Smart Cities Summit
📍 London | County Hall | 🗓️ 24 June
Attendee: Charlotte Pirie | Membership Coordinator
“The Smart Cities Summit highlighted how local leadership is driving climate action, resilience and digital innovation to improve residents’ lives. Speakers emphasised that adapting to climate change must sit alongside reducing emissions, with investment in flood resilience, green infrastructure and heat mitigation delivering long-term savings.
Practical examples from Kranj, Limerick, London and Sunderland demonstrated how technology, sustainable transport and resident-focused digital services can enhance quality of life while supporting healthier, more resilient communities.
A consistent theme was that successful smart city programmes combine data with community engagement, trusted partnerships and collaboration across organisations to ensure solutions are inclusive, deliverable and centred on citizens.”
CIPFA Yorks and Humber Regional Forum
📍 York | 🗓️ 10 June | Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy
Attendees: Jon Gleek | Head of Research and Policy
“LGIU was a guest speaker on a wide-ranging agenda. The biggest takeaway was the strong appetite in the room for greater partnership working.
The Penna update highlighted that the key skills for today’s CFOs are less about technical accountancy and more about systems leadership and political negotiation.
There was also a lively discussion about the opportunities devolution presents to think differently about public finances, with a more meaningul focus on prevention and joint budgets.”
PPMA CSG Roundtable: Securing the Future of Local Government Talent
📍 London | LGA Office | 🗓️ 17 June | Public Services People Managers Association | Commercial Services Group
Attendees: Heather Yedigaroff | Chief Operating Officer
Charlotte Pirie | Membership Coordinator
“Great discussions highlighted some of the biggest opportunities and challenges facing the local government workforce.
CSG shared the results of their Gen Z Employment Research in which they found that only 16% of young people associate councils with making a difference – a figure that was cited and discussed at length.”
The gap between perception and reality appears to be the sector’s core recruitment challenge. The issue isn’t the work councils do, but that the sector’s message about the value it delivers isn’t landing.
Another strong theme was that staff retention could be improved by creating more varied routes for career progression, including horizontal moves and skills-based secondments.”
Insights North East Annual Conference 2026
📍 Newcastle | 🗓️ 10 June
Attendees: Jon Gleek | Head of Research and Policy
Thomas Lynch | Strategic Policy and Practice Manager
“The session on ‘Reimagining the Role of the Citizen Voice’ explored new approaches to shaping policy, transparency and who is involved in setting the vision and making decisions in devolution. It was also great to be part of the discussion, with Jon presenting on a panel about the future devolution.
A key takeaway was that devolution is a topic which requires us to think carefully about how we shape and scale both formal and informal settlements.”
MJ Awards
📍 London | Park Plaza | 🗓️ 19 June | Public Services People Managers Association
Attendees: Jonathan Carr-West | Chief Executive Officer
Heather Yedigaroff | Chief Operating Officer
Charlotte Pirie | Membership Coordinator
“There is so much to celebrate in the sector, with 20 diverse award categories recognising everything from AI Innovation and Delivering Sustainability and Social Value to Chief Executive of the Year and Community Engagement. And there’s just as much to learn from these successes.
It was a fantastic opportunity for some great conversations, new introductions and plenty of inspiration throughout the day. Congratulations to all the winners!
Yorkshire and Humber Regional Policy Network
📍 Doncaster | 🗓️ 24 June
Attendee: Thomas Lynch | Strategic Policy and Practice Manager
“Rich discussions with policy leads from councils, academia and public sector bodies covered the societal challenges around NEETS, the direction of SEND reform, Doncaster Council’s THRIVE programme, and the trajectory of policing reform.
The clear consensus was that change is well and truly afoot, but scaling successful solutions and pilots requires us to ask the bigger, more provocative questions about the real problems we’re trying to solve.”
Where should we be next?
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