Research, policy and practical support for councils: recent work from LGIU

This article highlights a few of those recent projects, so that you – LGIU members – can make the best use of these insights.

What issues should be at the forefront of our research agenda? Share your views

Local government finance

Financial sustainability of councils in England and Scotland

Our annual, sector-wide State of Local Government Finance in England survey paints a stark picture of systemic pressure across the sector. Around 15% of councils expect to require Exceptional Financial Support by the end of the financial year, rising to nearly 40% within five years. SEND, temporary accommodation, and adult social care remain the dominant drivers of financial instability. Many councils also highlight the compounding effect of ongoing reforms such as local government reorganisation (LGR) and the Fair Funding Review 2.0.

• You can read the 2026 England finance survey here.
• And you can read our explainer on Exceptional Financial Support here.

In Scotland, our latest survey illustrates similar sustained pressures. Around 70% of councils believe they may be unable to set a balanced budget within five years, with financial resilience increasingly undermined by long-term demand pressures and constrained funding settlements. Scottish councils highlight similar pressures to English councils, and many also criticise ring-fencing and directed spending, with a growing sense that current funding arrangements are no longer sufficient to match statutory responsibilities or local need. 

• You can read the Scotland finance survey here.

International local government finance

With our partners at the University of Northumbria, we have undertaken international research to enhance the understanding of local government as a system and help develop new approaches and solutions to long-standing problems. This unique system-wide perspective is useful for practitioners, policymakers, and academics seeking to understand the different ways local services are financed in democracies across the world.

• You can read more from our Local government finance observatory work here.

Fiscal devolution

LGIU provides secretariat support for the All-Party Parliamentary Group (APPG) on local government. The APPG, reflecting the announcements made by the Chancellor in her Mais lecture – and the mounting case for reforming local government finance in England – has recently begun an inquiry on fiscal devolution. The inquiry will combine written and oral evidence on the topic to explore whether, and how, fiscal devolution can support local government, as well as how reform can be delivered in a way that commands broad political and civic support.

• You can read about our work with the APPG’s parliamentary inquiry here.
• You can read our outline of the options for fiscal devolution here.

Social care

National Care Services

Our joint work with CIPFA provides insight into adult social care reform across Scotland, Wales, and England. This three-part series moves beyond structural debate to examine what “National Care Services” mean in practice, what progress has been made in each nation, and what lessons are emerging about successful reform. It highlights that outcomes depend less on structural redesign alone, and more on funding, workforce stability, accountability, and place-based delivery – as well as the ongoing challenge of how sustainable funding can be achieved and what role local government will play in future care systems.

• This research has produced three successive briefings, which are available to read for LGIU members here. 

Local elections

Local elections resources

LGIU’s Local Elections 2026 hub brings together analysis, explainers, and commentary to help interpret results and their implications for local government. 

• What the results mean for councils and governance.
• How concepts like No Overall Control affect decision-making.
• How different mayoral models operate within the wider devolution system.
• Why local elections matter for services, accountability, and communities.
• What the local elections results mean for gender representation in local government.

Devolution

Reframing devolution – Looking to 2050

Jointly produced with Local Partnerships, this research draws on surveys and interviews with council officers in every combined authority area in England. Through the insight from these councils, we probe the state of working relations and service delivery in existing combined authorities, whilst uncovering the sector’s views on the long-term future of devolution and local governance. Three core priorities emerged:

1. Clarifying the purpose of ‘Strategic Authorities’;
2. Establishing a clear and functional division of responsibilities between tiers of government;
3. Developing long-term future-state scenarios for devolution to 2050.

The report was launched in the House of Commons in November 2025, in the presence of council leaders, MPs and peers. 

• You can read Looking to 2050 here

Local infrastructure projects

Delivering through change

This report, produced in partnership with Scape, examines the growing gap between local ambition and delivery in capital and infrastructure projects. Insights from senior officers across 63 councils in England highlighted the impact of fragmented funding, rising costs, procurement complexity, and stretched commercial capacity, with delivery becoming increasingly slowed and risk-laden. The research also points to practical approaches emerging in the sector, including stronger pipeline planning and more collaborative delivery models. 

• You can read Delivering Through Change here.

We are also hosting an online event, bringing together LGIU, Scape, and frontline practitioners to explore the research and the challenges – and solutions – it presents.

• You can book onto this member-only event here.

Public opinion polling

State of the Locals – with Ipsos

What do the public think about local government? Published as part of our Guide to the 2026 local elections, our polling with Ipsos explored public attitudes towards local government and local democracy. The findings show councils remain more trusted than national government and are seen as central to people’s everyday lives, but public understanding of how local government works remains limited – alongside a strong appetite for greater local influence.

You can read the insight from this polling here.

Local government reorganisation

LGR proposal analysis

Our comprehensive analysis of the Secretary of State’s decisions on the future geographies of Devolution Priority Programme (DPP) councils explores what the government’s announcements mean for the remaining LGR areas and also highlights the implementation risks councils are now navigating as structural reform accelerates. This work follows our analysis of the submitted proposals for non-DPP areas, from which the Secretary of State is due to make similar selections in July.

• You can read Analysis of LGR decisions: the new DPP map here.
• You can also read our analysis of the submitted LGR proposals in non-DPP areas here. 

Direct support to members

LGR and Devo facilitation

Success is not assured in LGR. Our expertise with previous LGR programmes underscores that it is the collaborative, collective intentionality of Leaders and Senior Officers during implementation that signifies the direction of travel.

Our LGR work spans the current wave of reorganisation across England.

• In Norfolk, LGIU was contracted as a strategic advisor via the County Council to support programme mobilisation in an outcomes agnostic environment. We facilitated a 300-person “Norfolk LGR community” and reviewed programme approaches and design workshops. 
• In Essex, we work with the SRO and Deputy SRO’s on LGR mobilisation with the Chief Executives, and delivered the inaugural senior officer forum, Building One Council, to produce working principles, synthesis outputs, and post-session frameworks. 
• In Suffolk, we have provided critical friend support to Joint Chief Executives navigating the political complexity of multi-council reorganisation. 
• In Kent, we are long-standing partners via Kent County Council to facilitate, support and advise Joint Kent Chief Executives for over a decade, covering political change, devolution and LGR.

As the sector navigates an unprecedented wave of change under the twin-track changes of LGR and devolution, LGIU has been providing direct facilitation and bespoke support for member councils, working closely with officers and members to support:

Proving a critical friend

Providing independent challenge, expert insight, and additional capacity to ensure the programme is well-positioned for success – regardless of where you’ve started. By attending the Chief Executive Steering Group, programme board and working groups, we provide independent challenge, assurance and constructive challenge to internal plans and assumptions.

Trusted voice to unlock collaboration

LGR is inherently a competitive process. From business case preparation to the tension between an LGR system and individual council building. Building from decades of navigating politically complex environments, LGIU workshops can help you work collaboratively and sensitively within a contested political and organisational landscape.

Provide independent research and analysis

LGIU’s unique ability to share learnings from other areas that have been through LGR before to ensure you utilise best practice where it exists. Help inform priorities and identify critical actions in the pre-vesting phase, and support learnings from across our network with rapid insight reports.

Net Zero

Decarbonisation in practice

Alongside Commercial Services Group, we conducted a series of focus groups with councils across England and Wales that are navigating the next phase of Net Zero delivery. The research points to a shift towards more pragmatic and incremental delivery, shaped by planning and grid constraints, financial pressures, and political uncertainty. Solar has emerged as a key focus due to its relative deliverability, but confidence in meeting original targets is increasingly uneven. This report is forthcoming, as is an exciting member-only webinar to discuss the findings.

Watch this space…

And there’s plenty more to come. LGIU has expanded its strategic partnership programme to bring together expertise across the sector. Ongoing collaborations with our strategic partners Local Partnerships, Browne Jacobson, and Norse Group focus on generating further insight into:

• Neighbourhood working
• Transformation and improvement for local government
• The intricacies of devolution and local government reorganisation

We are increasingly working with councils directly on topics important to them.

What issues should be at the forefront of our research agenda? Share your views