The Local Authority Podcast

Last month’s local elections brought a wider spectrum of politicians than ever into local power. As the dust settles and new administrations take office, this episode of the Local Authority, recorded before a live audience at New Local’s Stronger Things conference, examines what comes next for public services.

Joining acting LGC editor Martin George are John Denham, former communities secretary and director of the Centre for English Identity and Politics at Southampton University, Grace Pollard, head of policy and insights at New Local, and Wietse Van Ransbeeck, CEO and co-founder of Go Vocal.

With around half of councils having declared the results of their elections, the LGC team analyses the main themes that have developed so far. Acting editor Martin George is joined by head of news Kirsty Weakley, chief reporter Caitlin Webb and finance and devolution reporter Elliot Topham.

[Published 16:00 on Friday 08 May 2026 - results correct at time of recording]

With more than 5,000 seats up for grabs across English councils in May, this episode of The Local Authority examines what the elections could mean for the major parties, the rise of Reform and the Greens, and what the results might tell us about the state of British democracy.

LGC news editor Kirsty Weakley is joined by elections expert Colin Rallings and Polly Curtis, chief executive of cross-party think tank Demos, to explore projections for Labour and Conservative seat losses, the growing role of independent candidates and residents' associations, and the extent to which fragmented multi-party politics has made traditional swing analysis obsolete. The panel also discusses whether these elections feel less like a verdict on the current government and more like a broader expression of public disillusionment with the political system as a whole.

Metro mayors are the poster boys for devolution, but councils have a vital but often unappreciated role in combined authorities – soon to be renamed strategic authorities. With the government planning to ‘complete the map’ of devolution in England and reform how strategic authorities operate, this episode of the Local Authority podcast examines the relationship between strategic authorities and their constituent councils.

Acting editor Martin George is joined by Mark Rogers, associate director of the Leadership Centre, who has led teams establishing three new combined authorities, and Akash Paun, a programme director at the Institute for Government, where he leads the institute’s devolution programme.

Millions of people rely on social care every day, but it has long been a service in crisis with soaring demand, workforce shortages and inadequate funding, putting ever greater pressure on council finances. Against this backdrop, the Labour government was elected on a promise to set up a National Care Service.

In this episode, acting editor Martin George is joined by former care minister Paul Burstow, who now chairs the Social Care Institute for Excellence, and Andy Harrop, a director at Public First who as general secretary of the Fabian Society wrote a report for the Labour party setting out a roadmap to a National Care Service, to explore what a National Care Service could look like in practice, and how it could change the role of councils.