In my work for the Taxpayers' Alliance, I am regularly quoted criticising councils and councillors. Some would say I never have a good word to say about any of them, although I hope the councillors I do work with think differently. Today though I am writing this post to commend Hull City Council. Yesterday all our recycling bins were emptied and taken away. Today we received a new blue bin an...

It's often said by local councillors that the idea that there is waste in Town Halls or that council tax can be reduced is "simplistic" or foolish - it's impossible, they cry, if the TPA were councillors then you'd understand...

Labour MPs and councillors are calling on Southampton City Council and local organisations to work together to ensure that Southampton gets its fair share of a new £1 billion fund for young people at risk of long term unemployment. Councillor Richard Williams, leader of the Southampton Labour Group of Councillors, has submitted a question to Southampton’s ruling Cabinet calling for the...

Two more Labour Councillors to support Independent Mayor Two Labour Councillors today pledged their support for working with Independent Mayor Rahman. Kabir Ahmed and Shahed Ali cited Labour’s refusal to work with the Mayor as primary reasons for breaking the Labour Group Whip. “Rahman was elected with a clear mandate, therefore, we need to respect that

From the Ofsted report into Haringey and Baby P’s death: The reliance on national and local performance indicators is too great and does not enable understanding of the quality and effectiveness of service provision on the ground. A warning about what can go wrong which applies to many areas of councillors’ work, and not just the tragic ...

Councillors are receiving almost £1 million pounds a year extra to sit on little-known committees and discuss council work - making some of their pay packets larger than MPs'.

Ok, so here is the state of play in the English local Council elections as of mid evening. Just reflect on these stunning results.... Conservatives 1330 Councillors +217 Lib Dems 439 Councillors -8 Others 159 Councillors +34 LABOUR 159 Councillors -250. The Party of Government has come in joint 3rd! Labour has lost control of ALL four Council redoubts  it was defending. Tonight there are hund...

Earlier in the week, the Yorkshire Evening Post put up an article called Leeds Councillors vote “NO” to freeze on allowances. I was interested to see that Cllr Robert Finnigan had proposed the Motion and that it was overwhelmingly defeated by 83 votes against, seven for (and presumably nine abstentions or non-attendees). Our Councillors cost the

This week's Local Government Chronicle reports that "Labour councillors have given Gordon Brown a much-needed boost, with a majority claiming the party can win the next general election with him as PM." According to a poll of Labour councillors by ComRes 61% of party councillors believe the next general election is winnable with Brown as leader. Just over a quarter (27%) believe the party is desti...

A busy, busy week - yesterday Green councillors meeting and an evening of Budget training for councillors, tonight a Ruscombe Brook Action Group meeting, the next couple of days there are evening scrutiny meetings....plus of course work which is also too busy at the mo...but more of all those meetings in a while but wanted to cover in this post the District's plans for a cycle policy... Yes at