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Greetings Friends and Colleagues!
It has been a rollercoaster with the local elections and the results.
2025 Local Elections
There was a huge loss of 674 Conservative councillors and 187 Labour councillors, to the benefit of Reform UK and the Green councillors. Our members made huge gains at last week’s elections, 677 and 45 respectively, making totals of 805 and 895 councillors. Independents largely held their own, but lost 23 of 2,200 seats, some councillors now re-elected as Reform UK. Reform UK won the mayoralties of Greater Lincolnshire and Hull and East Yorkshire.
I pay tribute to all our councillors for their successes and congratulations to all for winning their seats sometimes against quite a tsunami, amazing! I look forward to working with all our newly elected members to ensure the best possible outcomes for our residents and communities.
In light of the recent locals, I’m very pleased to say that our Independent Group, with the Green Party and Plaid Cymru, has grown to 15.2% of the LGA. That is up from 14.3% last year. Reform UK made enough gains to request their own Group at the LGA, at 7.8%. As Reform UK were previously a small part of our Group, our Group Office will be supporting them through this transition time as they set up their own Group Office. They will officially be on the LGA structures from the LGA General Assembly on 1 July. This does mean that Reform UK are not able to stand or vote in our Group elections. My apologies for the delay in the latest bulletin as we sorted out how things were standing with the Groups.
We will be reviewing what this means for our places on the LGA’s policy boards, alongside the LGA’s Governance Review, which has made further recommendations. To ensure we have the most up-to-date information, we will open for Expressions of Interest from Monday 9 June.
On a personal note, I stood for County and for Mayor, in a team effort by Independents across Greater Lincolnshire. We all kept our County seats, with a good majority, 1,625 votes in my case. In the mayoral election over a huge area of ten councils, Independents came second or third in rural council areas, but fourth overall, with just under 20,000 votes, ahead of the Greens and Lib Dems. It was heartening to work right across the patch supporting each other, creating a very positive experience.
Support for you from regional lead peers
The LGA has a wide range of resources and support available for those facing changes in political leadership and what to do next. This includes information for councils facing a change of control, no overall control as well as changes to councils’ portfolio holders and leaders. Our fantastic regional lead peers are already reaching out to those member authorities facing changes in leadership and weighing up potential coalitions and/or alliances. If this is you, please do make contact with your regional lead peer who can help navigate the inevitable tricky negotiations!
New councillor hub
If you are a newly elected councillor or know of someone who has just been elected, please know the LGA is here to help! Our extensive resources page gives you the very latest information from the LGA including opportunities to sign up for forthcoming e-bulletins and councillor e-learning events. You will also have many questions that need answering and the LGA have provided a useful ‘new councillors frequently asked questions’ page for those interested.
Date for the Diary: LGA new members event
The LGA is planning its next welcome event for members on 19 June, 5.00pm - 7.00pm. This is aimed primarily at newly elected members but current members are welcome also and is an introduction to the LGA as an organisation, its sector-led improvement offer as well as how the Independent Group Office can support you as valued members of our grouping. Booking is now open!
2025 Independent Group Elections: Nominations open!
If you are interested in standing for one of our three Group leadership positions: Leader, Deputy Leader or Treasurer/AGM Chair, nomination papers are now available online. Deadline for receipt of nomination papers is Friday 23 May by 5pm.
Guidance on the Leadership Elections is now available: LGA Independent Group elections | Local Government Association
All councillors who are members of the LGA Independent Group are able to vote in the Group Elections for the positions of Leader, Deputy Leader and Treasurer/AGM Chair.
The Independent Group Leadership Hustings will take place in person and online the evening of Monday 2 June.
The ballot and election period, from when our members can vote using their unique online voter link, will open Wednesday 4 June and close Wednesday 25 June at 5.00pm.
The results of the elections will be declared at the LGA Independent Group AGM on Tuesday 1 July.
If anyone would like a confidential discussion or more information about the elections, please contact the Head of Group Office.
Independent Group Annual General Meeting, 10.00am – 11.30am, Tuesday 1 July, Liverpool
Notice is hereby given that our Independent Group Annual General Meeting (AGM) will take place on the first day of the LGA Annual Conference in Liverpool on Tuesday 1 July, from 10am until 11.30am.
Group members wishing to put forward a motion to the AGM must provide a draft to the Independent Group Office and/or a member of the LGA Independent Group Leadership 30 days in advance of the meeting. The deadline for receipt of draft motions is 23.59hrs on 1 June.
The LGA Independent Group Executive will then provide feedback on the draft motion.
Final and form Notice of Motion must be submitted to the Independent Group Office using the template that will be supplied by the Group Office, no later than 14 days before the AGM. The deadline for receipt of final and formal motions is 10.00am Tuesday 17 June.
Please note for a motion to be considered, motions should:
- Call upon the Group to change its own Constitution or the way it relates to and provides support to its membership.
- Raise issues of national importance to the Group’s members on which the Group or the LGA should have a policy and take action and asks the LGA or Group Officers to pursue a course of action.
- Enable the Group to have a collective and powerful voice on national issues and change the national narrative.
- Have positive intent.
For any questions or queries on motions, please do not hesitate to get in touch.
Attending in person the Independent Group AGM/LGA General Assembly only
Our members can attend the Independent Group AGM and/or the LGA General Assembly only, in person, at the LGA Annual Conference in Liverpool without paying for a ticket to the conference. Please note there will not be access to the rest of the conference.
To attend the Independent Group AGM only in person please register using this link.
Please note that the deadline to register to attend the AGM only, not the whole conference, is 6 June. We will not be able to accept applications after this date.
To attend the LGA General Assembly as well, your council needs to register you separately.
Our members can also attend the Independent Group AGM online. The Independent Group Office is currently finalising the process for attending the AGM online and further details will be available soon.
LGA General Assembly
The General Assembly - the 'Parliament of Local Government' - meets once a year and is the only LGA decision-making forum which all authorities in membership are eligible to attend and to vote.
At the meeting, the General Assembly elects the LGA’s political leadership, receives the annual report and accounts, and may debate motions on nationally significant issues for local government.
Further details, including how to book, is available on the LGA Annual Conference webpage.
Invitation to submit a motion
The Annual Meeting provides an opportunity for discussion of motions calling on the Association to take action on major strategic policy issues. Local authorities are invited to submit motions by the deadline of 5.00pm on Tuesday 29 April 2025.
To do so, please:
- Refer to: Guidance note for submitting a motion to assist you in deciding whether your Motion meets the criteria for consideration by General Assembly. All Motions must comply with the criteria.
- Download and complete: Motion template which is at Appendix A of the guidance note.
Return to: memberservices@local.gov.uk or Member Services, Local Government Association, 18 Smith Square, Westminster, London, SW1P 3HZ by the deadline of: 5.00pm on Tuesday 29 April 2025.
Please note that not all Motions received are submitted to General Assembly. The LGA Board will decide what Motions should be debated at General Assembly.
Confirming your representatives
Member authorities are also now formally invited to appoint their representatives to serve on the LGA General Assembly from 1 July 2025 for the period of one year. The nomination form is now available in electronic format and will automatically alert authorities to the total number of votes they are entitled to.
To appoint your representatives for 2025-26 and inform us of observers / substitutes attending, please:
- Complete and automatically submit the nomination form: General Assembly Registration Form by the deadline of: Friday 6 June 2025.
Please be aware that this online form must be completed as confirmation of your nominated representatives as it will include important voting allocation information. Without this evidence, Members will not be able to vote.
Need further guidance?
Information on the General Assembly.
Or contact members services or phone Fatima de Abreu on 07464 652721 / Dan Hyslop on 07920 230092
LGA and Independent Group work on Climate Change
LGA Local Infrastructure and Net Zero (LINZ) Board Independent Group representatives, Cllr Loic Rich and Cllr Diana Moore, with support from Board substitute Cllr Jonathon Essex, have been working cross-party at the LGA to explore what specific legal responsibilities on councils on climate change would mean.
The LGA has now gone out to consultation to get the views of councils and interested parties including government departments, non-governmental organisations, interest groups, think tanks, alliances and more on whether councils should be set a statutory duty or duties to act on climate change. The consultation is now open and will close on Friday 30 May 2025 at 11.45pm.
Be a Councillor 2025-2026 Programme
If you know of someone who is interested in politics and local government, and may be considering standing as a council candidate please do contact the Independent Group Office to be included in our e-list. We are currently in discussion with our peers over improvements to our programme offer which include, developing a core curriculum that participants can follow week-to-week with a workbook, covering everything from filling out a nomination form to getting elected and the first few weeks as a councillor. If this is something that might interest you, get in touch!
Solar Industry
There will be an online meeting planned in May to further discuss the concerns raised about the takeover by the global solar industry of many thousands of acres of farmland; glass, steel and concrete cover areas the size of cities, sprawling over miles, setting our villages in an industrial landscape. The risk to land and water quality and noxious gases from the battery storage units is unnecessary. If all the applications went ahead, we would be ten times oversupplied. Whilst we finalise a date for this special, please do get in touch if you want to attend and a link with be sent to you. All are welcome!
And finally…
As we celebrate 80 years of peace this week, I would like to pay tribute to all our armed forces for making the ultimate sacrifice to keep us safe and at peace. We owe them a huge debt and we continue to honour their memory going forward. Happy VE day!
Best wishes,
Cllr Marianne Overton MBE
Vice Chair of the LGA and Independent Group Leader
LGA Independent Group Office
www.local.gov.uk/lga-independent
News from the LGA
National Joint Council for Local Authority Fire and Rescue Services
Following consultation with the sector the National Employers have made an offer to the Employee side of the NJC of a 3.2 per cent increase to basic pay and CPD payments from 1 July. The offer would also remove the ‘trainee’ grade of pay and update notice periods within the grey book to a minimum of four weeks on either side. The Fire Brigades Union are now consulting with a recommendation that members accept the offer. The consultative ballot will close mid-May 2025.
Future of adult social care
The Terms of Reference for the Casey Commission on the future of adult social care was published earlier today. The announcement marks a crucial starting moment in securing the best possible future for adult social care. We have said the LGA stands ready to work closely with the Commission in the months ahead, as we continue to call on the Government to use the forthcoming Spending Review to provide the funding needed to stabilise the sector in the short-term and lay solid foundations for the longer-term reforms the Commission will be proposing.
Asylum accommodation and support pilots
The Home Office will be asking councils to return expressions of interest to participate in pilots testing a more active role in asylum accommodation and support with the aim to reduce hotel use in a letter to Leaders and Chief Executives. Councils should hear in June if the Government wishes to work with them on funding and delivery, with further rounds available over the next four years. The Government are aware this runs in parallel with asks under the new Afghan Resettlement Programme. The Home Office also shared details of the asylum dispersal grant funding for 2025/26, with further information on both available from Strategic Migration Partnerships.
Local government and legal responsibilities to act on climate change: An LGA open consultation
Tackling climate change is one of the greatest challenges facing our communities and ranks high in peoples’ priorities. LGA opens consultation to get the views of councils and interested parties including government departments, non-governmental organisations, interest groups, think tanks, alliances and more on whether councils should be set a statutory duty or duties to act on climate change. The consultation is now open and will close on Friday 30 May 2025 at 11.45pm.
Local authority funding reform: Resetting the Business Rates Retention System: technical consultation
Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government (MHCLG) has published a technical consultation on Local Authority Funding Reform – Resetting the Business Rates Retention System. This will run for eight weeks until 2 June 2025. The consultation contains detailed consideration of how to set the Business Rates Baseline in 2026 as part of the Government’s funding reforms. The LGA will be submitting a response. Please share your views with the LGA Finance Team
Local audit reform
The Government has published the outcome of the consultation on local audit reform. Alongside this, the Government also announced funding for the costs of additional audit fees for build back of reassurance for local authorities affected by the backstop process. This is something we identified as being needed a year ago and have been lobbying for. A first tranche of £49 million will be distributed to qualifying local authorities during 2025/26.
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