Find helpful resources and guidance relevant to new councillors.
New councillors frequently asked questions
The LGA run events and sessions following local elections as an opportunity to provide support to new (and returning) councillors. These present an opportunity to speak to experienced LGA member peers about their top tips and to share thoughts from other experienced councillors – some of which are collated and shared as FAQs.
COVID-19: councillors timeline for 2021
Following the (May) 2021 local elections, new and returning councillors will be going into a municipal year in which councils are adapting to the challenges brought on by the pandemic.
LGA e-learning platform for councillors
As part of our programme of supporting political leadership development we have developed a range of online learning modules.
This toolkit has been developed to help councils create the underlying policies, procedures, ethos and environment that encourages and empowers women, parents and carers to become local councillors and take on leadership positions.
The 21st century councillor (pdf)
A research report from July 2016 which reflects on the roles that councillors are playing, or recognise that they will need to be playing, within their organisations and localities. It explains why these roles are emerging as the key contributions for councillors, and then explores councillor careers and development, to consider how councillors can be supported to perform these roles effectively.
Resident satisfaction with councils
The LGA measures resident satisfaction with councils every three to four months. Indicators are used to measure residents’ views of their local council and respondents are also asked to indicate their level of satisfaction with nine council services. In the latest report public trust in councils and councillors remains high - 70 per cent of respondents singled out local councillors, as the individuals they most trust to make decisions about how services are provided.
As we continue to navigate through the pandemic, all LGA events are being held virtually. Covering a wide range of local government topics and best practice, our easy-to-access virtual events programme will provide you with the very latest, relevant content and access to speakers from within and outside local government.
View our range of learning materials covering a number of topics, all created for councillors.
Across the UK, there are growing concerns about the impact an increasing level of public intimidation and toxicity of debate is having on our country’s democratic processes. In response, the LGA is working closely with WLGA, COSLA and NILGA to coordinate a programme of work entitled ‘Civility in public life’.
LG Inform brings together in one accessible place a range of key performance data for authorities, alongside contextual and financial information, in an online tool. Users can view data from over 6,600 individual items, make comparisons between their authority and other councils or groups of councils.