Our personal safety is something many of us take for granted, this short guide – reviewed for 2023 – 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. This guide is free for everyone to read, but you must be signed in to you website account. Read this guide.

Are we seeing a rising tide of political violence against councillors? As we launch our 2023 election resources, we look at rising levels of hostility and offer councillors, candidates and election staff some sensible support and a call for action and awareness.

Read the article here.

This two-hour online session (15 March) will provide attendees with practical techniques and tips to help you assess risk and adopt strategies to minimise potential hazards. We will cover how to implement personal safety procedures, interact safely with members of the public and stay safe when out and about. This session is FREE for LGIU members and only £10 for non-members. Book now.

This member-only briefing covers some essential issues, such as the publicity code, tackling discriminatory election campaigns, using data during campaigning and the position of elected members who are also campaigning for re-election. Read the briefing.

Peter Stanyon, Chief Executive of the Association of Electoral Administrators discusses the challenges that face those who run our elections. A job made more complicated this May year by the introduction of voter ID and polling station complexities. Read the article.

For the first time, voters across England must show photo ID at council elections this May. The same will apply throughout Great Britain at future general elections. But are election staff ready for the change, and have concerns over using ID been overcome? This briefing takes a look into the details. Read the briefing.

In this article, Dr. Greg Stride of LGIU’s Local Democracy Research Centre disseminates the findings of his recent PhD into the health of England’s electoral system. He conducted in-depth interviews with electoral staff and collated their experiences and views on the current situation and the changes ahead, including the implementation of voter ID. Read this article.

There has been so much going on in British politics recently it is easy to forget we are already in the countdown for May’s local elections, writes our Chief Executive, Jonathan Carr-West. Read the article.

The Local Democracy Research Centre will be carrying on with vital work looking at elections and election administration both in the UK and elsewhere. If you are interested in this research and would like to become involved then please contact Greg Stride.

This guide is focussed on some easy steps to make election communications better so that local people know where to vote, who they can vote for and how much their vote mattered in the final outcome. Read this guide.

In this think piece, Dr. Greg Stride from LGIU’s Local Democracy Research Centre asks whether the implementation of voter ID in UK elections will resolve the increasing worry surrounding lost trust in elections and democracy as a whole. Read this article.

This recent Global Local newsletter draws on research and case studies from around the world to examine how young people view democracy and what local government can do to build engagement with young voters. Read this newsletter.

Local democracy reporters employed by the BBC have made a huge difference to the coverage of councils in the UK. But with many local papers having closed, there is no guarantee that residents know what their council is doing. Our new briefing looks at the health of local journalism. Read this briefing.

This edition of our newsletter Global Local explored how local governments can respond to misinformation and disinformation in their communities. Read this edition.

LGIU Training offers a curriculum of communications essentials. It will help equip you with the skills and techniques to get your message across in the most effective and appropriate way. Find out more.

The structure of local government varies from area to area, and region to region. In total there are five possible types of local authority in England, while Northern Ireland’s 11 authorities are all unitary. Find out more here.

The LGIU’s new build your own training curriculum is perfect for developing the training that your new intake of councillors will need come May. We have a ready made curriculum which covers all the essentials for being an effective councillor or you can mix different sessions to create something unique for your new councillors. Find out more or explore our full in-house training offer.

Councils are responsible for a very wide range of services, many of which are statutory (i.e. they are legally required to fulfil them). Find out here which type of authority is responsible for which service.

We are proud to have once again partnered with the BBC on our “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

As an elected member, you want the right tools to help you make an impact in your community. You strive to make progress for your residents. You aim to foster positive working relationships across your council. Dive into our full course programme for councillors.

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.