At first glance, this year’s polling paints a picture of declining trust in government at all levels and a public that is pessimistic about falling standards of public services.

Local government still fares better than central government, as they have done in previous years. For councils and councillors, the fall in trust and the rising perception that they are not working towards the best interests of local people have not increased hugely on last year’s results. And they have certainly not reached the off-the-cliff levels of distrust felt about central government. Read the full report…

This year has been dubbed the ‘year of elections’ with an unprecedented number of people going to the polls around the world.

In the UK, a General Election is on the horizon and on 2 May every part of England and Wales has at least one election. It is these local elections – local authority, mayoral, London Assembly and Police and Crime Commissioners – that the LGIU’s Ones to Watch guide is concerned with. Continue reading…

The LGIU’s one-stop-shop for election resources has got you covered. Dig into training for the sector, in-depth briefings, and helpful guides to get you up to speed on local elections. Explore now!

Councillors who are newly elected in May will be eager to get stuck into the day-to-day business of being a councillor. But local government is complex, so LGIU has support and information and training for new councillors across a wide range of unfamiliar policy areas to help develop the skills that will boost their effectiveness. Dive into this set of helpful resources.

View slides by Dr Hannah Bunting for LGIU’s State of the Locals 2024 here.

Have you just been elected for the first time or a councillor still finding your feet? You stood to be a councillor for a reason, so how do you achieve it? And how do you keep your head above water whilst making your mark? Save my spot!