Local elections 2022

Your one-stop shop for essential elections support, resources and commentary

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After months of anticipation, the 2022 local elections have come to a close. The LGIU team have been here to provide you and your teams with all the essential elections support, resources and commentary throughout this all important election period via our one-stop shop below and @LGIU. We hope you have found them useful whether your council was up this year or you’re already preparing for the next.

Our final results analysis is now available below with our take on what the results across England, Wales and Scotland really mean.

We must also take a moment to thank the officers and volunteers who make local elections happen. Without you – they wouldn’t be possible. On the blog, Peter Stanyon of the Association of Electoral Administrators covers the behind the scenes work and dedication of these unsung heroes.

Finally, a huge congratulations to all newly elected councillors. As you begin your journey, make sure you check out all our resources for new councillors. And, remember, we are here for you – from getting started to getting results. We have everything you need from skills and training, primers on key issues for local government, and our overviews of key topics to help you get up to scratch quickly.

Results analysis and commentary

With well over a decade of experience, we’re bringing you our expert commentary and analysis throughout the elections period.

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The future of mayors in England

What does Bristol’s referendum result means for the future of levelling up? As results come in thick and fast, relatively little attention has been paid to Bristol voting to scrap their elected mayor. Nonetheless, this is a significant result. Read the blog post.

State of the Locals on Friday morning

Here’s your morning round-up from the LGIU team with what you need to know from the local election results thus far.

Ipsos / LGIU polling on UK attitudes to local elections

Our recently launched State of the Locals polling with Ipsos looking at UK attitudes to local elections, the work of councillors and role of local government. If you missed our virtual panel on this, a recording is now available here.

Who runs the councils in No Overall Control?

Which councils are in ‘No Overall Control’ as we head into the 2022 May local elections?  What does NOC mean and what does that mean in terms of practical governance? Ingrid Koehler looks at what this means in practice.

Ones to watch 2022

We are proud to once again release LGIU’s Ones to Watch guide to the local elections with what’s at stake and up for grabs as voters go to the polls on 5 May 2022 to elect over 6,000 local representatives across England, Scotland and Wales. Read this guide.

How your money is spent BBC/LGIU infographics

We are proud to have once again partnered with the BBC on these “How your money is spent” infographics as we continue to tell the story of local government – councillors and officers – working day in and day out to support our communities. Contact us if you would like a copy for your council or for any additional information.

Want to talk to us about the elections?

We have been covering the local elections for well over a decade now and have a wealth of valuable insight. We have experts available to provide commentary and discussion across a range of election issues. Get in touch via our press team.

LGIU Podcast: how elections are covered

In this podcast from the 2021 elections, we talk to the BBC’s Tim Burke about how the BBC covers the local elections and what people think about them. Listen now.

Local government essentials

So what’s it all about anyway? Let’s get started with some local government facts, figures and training.

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Local government facts and figures: England

This is your intro to English local government. How does local government work? What is it responsible for? From the number of councillors to who pays – we’ll give you the low-down on all the essentials. Read this page.

Our exclusive weekly elections bulletin returns for 2022

We are excited to announce that we have once again partnered with the Vuelio Political team to bring you all the latest news, backgrounders, policy announcements and media reaction in the run up to the big day. Read our blog here and sign up today (selecting Democracy, Devolution and Governance) to stay in the know.

Local government facts and figures: Scotland

How does local government in Scotland work? This page brings you all the essential information. From the number of councils to the different roles of elected members and staff, we’ll answer your local government questions. Read this page.

Public trust

What is very hard to win and so easy to lose? Trust is crucial to all branches of government; local government used to bask in much higher trust ratings than national government but not so much anymore. We explore the trust deficit and why it matters in these elections.

The foundations of trust and democracy are local

In this new blog post, published for the 2022 local elections, Ingrid Koehler reflects on how local voting is an opportunity to build trust if we take a few simple steps. Read this blog.

LGIU Podcast: countering misinformation

This LGIU podcast features an interview with Danil Mikhailov, an expert in misinformation, on its prevalence across democracy and public health conversations and how councils can tackle it. Listen now.

You CAN handle the truth

As part of our previous post-covid recovery work, Ingrid Koehler examined how councils can build trust and recovery in an age of alternate facts, including original LGIU research on councillors’ views on public health information and misinformation. Read this longread.

‘Trust me, I’m from the local council’: trust in public institutions

The issue of trust and local authorities is one that we have been exploring for quite a while. This briefing from our library looked at research into declining levels of trust in public bodies and institutions. Read the briefing.

Renewing the relationship between communities and local government

Jonathan Carr-West’s speech to the Local Government Association of New South Wales delved in to the causes and effects of the fragmenting transactional relationship between individuals and institutions. Watch the speech.

Trust and governance

As part of our post-Covid councils work we looked at trust, governance and democracy. This collection of work delves into elections and lessons from the pandemic that could help to re-establish trust between communities and public institutions. Find out more.

Covid-safe elections

In all likelihood almost all mandated Covid restrictions will have disappeared from across the country by May. But the virus will still be a presence in these elections for organisers, campaigners and voters.

LGIU podcast: Running an election during a pandemic

In the run up to last year’s elections Ingrid Koehler talked to Professor Toby James about how countries around the world had been running elections during the pandemic and the prospects for UK local elections. Listen now.

Democracy Deferred? To elect or not to elect in the time of Covid-19

Two years ago the pandemic forced the postponement of elections in the UK, but other countries pressed ahead. This longread, written at the time, looked at how elections held in unprecedented conditions fared. Read the article.

Can we have healthy elections in a pandemic?

Two years since the first lockdown, many of us have found time to reflect upon the impact Covid-19 has had on democracy and on voting. Valid concerns still stand around what we need to do to make sure that our democracy remains healthy through the next phase of pandemic recovery. The publication is part of our Post-Covid councils work on trust and governance. Read here.

Free, fair and safe local elections in May

Last year, we conducted a comprehensive survey of council leaders, chief executives and heads of democratic services who told us that we must delay local elections to the Autumn and we must do it now. Do similar concerns still stand now? Read the publication to consider the reasons.

LGIU podcast: Making a safe election

In 2021, the local elections returned to the UK but the ongoing pandemic meant that they were far from routine. In this podcast we hear how Covid safety was being accommodated into election planning. Listen now.

Community engagement during Covid-19

Looking more globally for anwsers, we explore the diverse range of democratic, service and digital innovations introduced by local governments in Australia to address the unprecedented changes to community life caused by the spread of Covid-19. Read the briefing.

Transparency

Public institutions, those we elect and the decisions that they make on our behalf must be accountable, honest and open to scrutiny if elections are going to mean anything.

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Guide to election communications 2022

Every election represents aspiration and choice, but this year perhaps more than ever we need to celebrate democracy. Our communications guide focuses on some easy steps that councils can take during this election period and some ideas to develop for future elections. Read the guide.

Elections issues for English local authorities 2022

This election briefing covers some essential issues for local authorities during the pre-election period, including how councils can tackle discriminatory election campaigns and guidance for elected member on balancing their ward responsibilities with campaigning. Read the briefing.

Transparency, inclusion and accountability – at a uniquely difficult time

When the 2020 elections were cancelled, transparency, as Janet Sillett reported in this article, became doubly important. Increased efforts to engage with communities could be equally important in a post-pandemic world. Read this blog post.

Elections Bill: what could this mean for UK elections?

The Elections Bill will have implications for all elections and all voters. We have been charting its progress and opinions about the proposals it contains. Read this briefing.

Online training: Effective social media (16 June)

Social media has become a key channel for many councillors when communicating with their residents. This training offers indispensable advice on planning, managing and delivering your social media output. Find out more and book a place.

Personal safety

Councillors are available and approachable – it’s part of the role. But unfortunately, they can occasionally be the targets for aggressive and threatening behaviour.

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Personal safety on the campaign trail – free online training video

This programme has been developed for councillors and candidates who would benefit from the opportunity to reflect on the way they manage their own personal safety and includes principles of personal safety, use of mobile telephones and technology, canvassing and home visits, and trolls and cyber-bullies. Watch the free online traing video here with password: Fr@@PS@1ty

Personal safety guide for councillors

Our personal safety is something many of us take for granted, this short guide – updated for 2022 – offers some guidance on assessing risk and adopting strategies and behaviours that will minimise any potential hazards you might identify as part of your councillor role. Read the guide here.

Online training: Safety first for councillors and data protection (23 May)

Attendance and participation in the course will provide councillors with a clear understanding of the challenges and dangers around personal data. The ‘Councillors and Data Protection course’ takes participants through the legal framework. It highlights the importance of key issues such as consent to share data. Learn more and sign up here.

Diversity

The question of diversity in local government – whether we feel represented, understood, listened to – speaks to the heart of how all communities and councils dovetail in order to ensure the wellbeing of everyone in a local area.

Diversity in political representation in the UK

This publication examines diversity in political representation, including the legal context; the most recent data on ethnicity and disability in relation to councillors; barriers faced by black, ethnic minority and disabled candidates and councillors; what can be done to increase diversity, and; current advice and support. Read the full publication here.

Online training: Equality and inclusive leadership in local government (25 May & 6 June)

The two sessions will be relevant for senior managers and officers who want to develop their inclusive leadership practice and or work in the area of equalities, as well as elected members who want to re-examine equality and diversity policies within their local authority and their leadership role within and outside the council. Find out more here and book your place.

Understanding, engaging and representing the disabled community: “Don’t be the barrier, be the empowerer

We sat down with LGIU associate and trainer, Nigel Long, to discuss the launch of his new training and consulting agency, Action Disability, and what he hopes for the future of the agency and the overall disability agenda across local government. Read the blog here.

Commission on Women in Local Government

The LGIU worked in partnership with the Fawcett Society on a year-long Commission on Women in Local Government in 2016/17. The Commission adopted a strategic approach and focused, among other things, on the newly created governance structures at local level and how they include or exclude women. Read the Commission here.

How representative is UK local government to the communities they serve?

This briefing explores a recent report that looked at ethnic minority representation across UK local government, which shockingly – or not – was the first serious attempt to gather this information. Read this briefing.

Post-Covid councils: place and community

As part of our post-covid work we looked at the impact of Covid on different communities and the role of inequality in those impacts. This collection also examines the importance of place when it comes to building communities up and tackling inequality. Read more.

Are you an LGIU member?

LGIU was founded in the UK in 1983. Now as  LGIU England & Wales, LGIU Scotland, LGIU Ireland and LGIU Australia, we work for and with local authorities around the world, helping them to serve their local communities more effectively. We provide our members with the mix of insight, ideas and innovation that they need to get the job done and plan for the future. Put simply, we are here supporting local government every day. Find out more about LGIU membership or register for free on our website.