What these elections really mean for local government

Reorganisation

Around half the councils up for election this year are being reorganised, which means that many of the councillors elected will only be in post for a couple of years. But they will all play a crucial role in negotiating the future shape of local governments across England, managing transitions, and building new organisations. Reorganisation makes these elections more, not less, important.

Explore LGIU’s work supporting councils through reorganisation here.

Devolution

Equally, the devolution agenda will be debated between whole new groups of councillors in the places most directly affected. The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act was passed last week (more on what it means for local government here), and the government dropped the sections which would empower it to force through devolution against councils’ wishes. As a result, in many places, the future of devolution is in the hands of these new councillors. 

New councillors

With the election of so many candidates from new and different parties, it is no exaggeration to say that we are looking at over a thousand new councillors across England. These councillors will be sworn in with limited local government experience, and councils will therefore be more in need than ever of strong institutional memories carried by dedicated officers. Our Local Government Explained provides everything new councillors need to hit the ground running. And our wealth of local government training is here to support teams every step of the way.

Fragmentation and cooperation

Local politics is becoming more competitive. There were thousands of candidates standing this year, with some ballot papers looking very long indeed (22 candidates in a few wards in Tower Hamlets!). Turnout looks to be up as the public becomes more invested in the results. Competition is important for democracy, but it comes with its own challenges. 

Political fragmentation will fundamentally change how many councils operate. No Overall Control councils are becoming more common, including in places that have never had them before. These places will have to learn to be run by broader coalitions of support or risk falling into irresolvable conflict. As competition becomes more fierce, cooperation becomes all the more necessary to ensure councils run effectively. 

More about what it means to operate a No Overall Control council here. 

Conclusion: missing the trees for the wood

What often falls by the wayside in these conversations is that these results are not one big political change, they are hundreds of big political changes. The national conversation focuses on what they mean for local government as a whole – and the national parties – rather than local governments and local public services individually, which is where the greatest effects will be felt. As we saw last year, the changes in political control in the counties had an immediate impact on the development of devolution and local government reorganisation, as well as the less existential, but equally important, question of how local areas are governed, what the local priorities will be and how this will impact local decisions, services and communities. In local governments across England, the results of these elections will continue to be felt for years ahead.