With the 2020 council elections having been postponed by 12 months because of the Covid-19 pandemic, 2021 was a bumper year for local elections. Communities across the country turned out to vote for their councillors on Thursday, representatives who will ultimately shape local recovery. This members only briefing sets out the results of the polls and comments on what this means for local authorities.

If you’ve just been elected (or if you’re an old hand) LGIU has you covered with resources and support. Check out our training and development with briefings and primers for new councillors being added in the next days and weeks.

LGIU is partnering with Vuelio to bring you an exclusive weekly elections bulletin covering elections issues covering English local elections, GLA, Mayoral, Scottish and Welsh election issue coverage. See the full list.

What’s at stake and where are the hot races in this year’s local elections. Our Ones to Watch 2021 has all the facts.

How election news is made: How is the BBC covering the locals: Jonathan interviews the BBC’s Tim Burke about how elections are covered and what people think about the locals coverage. Listen here.

Making a Safe Election: Kate Grigg of CfGS about combined authority mayors and what she’s expecting from her very first stint volunteering at the polls and Peter Stanyon, Chief Exec of AEA about how this elections are different this year, how they’re the same. Listen here.

Democracy Club lays out the numbers for this years local elections, candidates, parties and places with 5000 new councillors to be elected on 6 May

What does NOC mean and how does it affect governance in practice? See our run down of councils in NOC.

Peter Stanyon, Chief Executive of the Association of Electoral Administrators (AEA) explains these most complicated sets of elections will be administered.

Kate Grigg of CfGS explains what combined authority mayors do and why we should care about these elections.

In his latest column for the Municipal Journal, Jonathan Carr-West considers the challenges for those coordinating the upcoming local elections and reflects on what’s changed for the public over the past five years.

Watch the event recording.(Passcode: Fr@@PS@1ty ) This programme has been developed for participants who would benefit from the opportunity to reflect on the way they manage their own personal safety.

• Principles of personal safety
• Use of mobile telephones and technology
• Canvassing and home visits
• Trolls and cyber-bullies.

Our personal safety guide with updated information about canvassing and Covid-19 safety on the campaign trail.

Local elections matter and how we talk about them matters. Effective communications can build enthusiasm for local democracy and this communications guide focuses on some easy steps that councils can take during the election period.

The member only briefing to elections issues for English local authorities including legal, data, Covid-safety and role of councillors during the elections period.

This Member-only swift read covers the recent decision and support to carry out the May 2021 local elections safely  – including outlines of new guidance and funding.

LGIU Chief Executive Jonathan Carr-West wrote about the missed chances of updating our elections to make them more engaging and Covid safe in his February Municipal Journal column.

Following today’s announcement from the Cabinet Office that local elections will go ahead as planned on 6 May 2021, we are pleased to hear that a decision has finally been made by the Government. Clarity is the most important thing and the sector has been begging for this.

Read the full statement.

Podcast: Jonathan Carr-West and Ingrid Koehler talk about local elections and our survey. Ingrid speaks to Professor Toby James who has been looking at how places around the world have been running local elections and whether England is ready to run elections in May.

The Local Government Information Unit (LGIU) reveals that the majority of council officials are overwhelmingly concerned about their ability to hold local elections in May.  Our survey of 374 Chief Executives (who are often returning officers), Democratic Services Officers and Council Leaders is the most comprehensive survey of council officials across England on the 2021 Local Elections. Read the full report. 

This think piece pulls from global lessons and outlines what we need to run healthy elections in the time of coronavirus.

As part of our Post-Covid councils work stream, we looked at trust, governance and democracy – including a close look at elections and think about how we can learn the lessons of the pandemic to build back better.

In a bumper year for local elections in England, LGIU’s Lucy Zhu reports on their work compiling local elections data for our Ones to Watch guide – never an easy task but, despite the unique challenges of 2021, there are signs of improved transparency.

In the run-up to #SuperThursday on 6 May, LGIU has partnered with Vuelio to provide you with weekly updates on the Scottish and Welsh national elections, as well as the English local elections.

In the run-up to #SuperThursday on 6 May, LGIU has partnered with Vuelio to provide you with weekly updates on the Scottish and Welsh national elections, as well as the English local elections. This week’s highlights include updates on the London Mayoral election and the pause in campaigning following the death of Prince Philip, as well as a glance at some of the parties and candidates’ policy proposals.

In the run-up to #SuperThursday on 6 May, LGIU has partnered with Vuelio to provide you with weekly updates on the Scottish and Welsh national elections, as well as the English local elections. This week we run-through manifesto pledges, polling stations and more of our ‘Ones to Watch’.

In the run-up to #SuperThursday on 6 May, LGIU has partnered with Vuelio to provide you with weekly updates on the Scottish and Welsh national elections, as well as the English local elections. This week, we explore combined authority mayors and campaign issues and look more at the Scottish manifestos.

In the run-up to #SuperThursday on 6 May, LGIU has partnered with Vuelio to provide you with weekly updates on the Scottish and Welsh national elections, as well as the English local elections. We look at the final few days of election campaigning, outline which unitary councils to keep an eye on and discuss what’s at stake for governments across England, Scotland and Wales.