Local Government ExplainedResource pack: Rewiring the state – unlocking local government’s role – LGIU research launch
This discussion launched LGIU’s research Rewiring the State: Unlocking local government’s role, which explores the central role that councils must play in a rewired state and makes key recommendations about how that can be enabled.
Rewatch the session
LGIU published Rewiring the State: Unlocking local government’s role on 30 September 2026. This event explored the analysis and recommendations from this research. Key takeaways included:
Councils are missing from the debate. So far, attention has focused on mayoral strategic authorities. LGIU’s paper, built from workshops with more than 70 organisations, sets out six roles for councils, from making everyday services the foundation of prevention to co-authoring growth plans.
Think in systems, not “who does what”. Good councils and good strategic authorities both do strategy and delivery, across the neighbourhood, local, regional and national spheres.
The foundations need fixing. With 39% of councils expecting to need exceptional financial support within five years, councils need a route out of it, structural clarity, local tax reform and properly resourced transfers of power.
Growth depends on legitimacy. Helen Bailey argued that growth will not reach people without local services that help them into work, and that councils earn democratic legitimacy through what they deliver.
Devolution is a process. Jonathan Tew described how North East councils are co-designing deals with their combined authority. South Tyneside has received more than £60m it would not otherwise have had.
What next
This is the blueprint we are sharing with Ministers and policy teams at No. 10 North. We are now gathering practical examples of how councils are approaching public service reform. If you would like to share learnings from your council, please contact Thomas Lynch.
Rewiring the state: unlocking local government’s role
LGIU brought together leading voices from more than 70 councils, universities, think tanks, and sector bodies across the local government family to explore the role that local government must play in a rewired state and what it will take to achieve it.
Additional resources
Northumberland County Council
Future of local government: Time to rebalance (Dr Helen Paterson)
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