Local government

Levelling up? Most of the UK is still in the grip of austerity | John Harris

After a decade of cuts, local government is in tatters, and some town halls are facing bankruptcy, says Guardian columnist John Harris

John Harris

28, Feb, 2021 @1:52 PM

Liverpool Labour councillors fail to abolish role of city mayor

Motion to revert to leader and cabinet model followed scrapping of all-female mayoral shortlist

Helen Pidd North of England editor

28, Feb, 2021 @1:19 PM

Austerity is alive and well, and giving public services a kicking | Phillip Inman

Rishi Sunak rejects comparisons between himself and George Osborne. But the view from local government is very different

Phillip Inman

27, Feb, 2021 @5:00 PM

Grenfell Tower council apologises for putting profits before people in borough

Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea leader says sorry for series of property deals made before 2017 fire

Robert Booth Social affairs correspondent

26, Feb, 2021 @4:00 PM

Kerbside scheme to cut electronic waste could be launched in UK

Government consulting on scheme that would increase obligation on retailers to take back broken items

Sarah Butler

26, Feb, 2021 @7:01 AM

Set children free: are playgrounds a form of incarceration?

Play has been the invisible casualty of the pandemic. Is it time to let children reclaim the streets? Our writer looks forward to a post-Covid world of parklets, play streets and repurposed parking spaces

Oliver Wainwright

25, Feb, 2021 @6:00 AM

Liverpool council may hold vote to scrap role of mayor over selection fiasco

Councillors consider abolishing elected position in protest at Labour scrapping all-female shortlist

Helen Pidd, Maya Wolfe-Robinson and Lucy Campbell

24, Feb, 2021 @6:40 PM

Failure to enact public duty law 'has worsened England inequality in pandemic'

Exclusive: government urged to activate part of Equality Act that would impose duty on public bodies to tackle inequality

Haroon Siddique

24, Feb, 2021 @12:01 AM

Labour scraps all-female shortlist for Liverpool mayor

Figures on left accuse party of trying to keep Corbyn-endorsed candidate Anna Rothery off ballot

Maya Wolfe-Robinson and Helen Pidd

23, Feb, 2021 @6:34 PM

UK councils still invest in fossil fuels despite declaring climate emergency

Nearly £10bn worth of investments including in oil and gas made via pension funds in last financial year

Fiona Harvey Environment correspondent

23, Feb, 2021 @7:00 AM

Streets in Welsh county can't be named after public figures, council rules

Denbighshire policy aims to guard against names that later become controversial

Steven Morris

22, Feb, 2021 @11:30 AM

Small steps towards a more democratic UK | Letters

Letters: Voters should be able to rank candidates in order of preference, says Michael Meadowcroft while Stuart Brady suggests councils should be first in the queue for proportional representation, and Lyn Dade calls for support to bring together a progressive alliance

21, Feb, 2021 @6:13 PM