The Independent Group Annual Report 2025/26

A year of political change and local leadership

The 2026 local elections represented one of the most consequential periods of political transition in local government in recent years.

In this challenging political environment, we are seeing the growth of a greater range of national political parties securing more of the vote, which has sadly impacted many of our colleagues.

Independents continue to be a credible voice at the ballot box and the independent group representation within the LGA has increased to 10.9 per cent up from 10.6 per cent in 2025 and 10.2 per cent in 2024.

Independent councillors remain uniquely positioned to provide the community leadership our residents are looking for; leadership grounded in local understanding, responsive to community need and focused on practical delivery.

This past year, councils have continued to navigate sustained financial pressure, increasing demand across statutory services, organisational change arising from local government reorganisation, workforce pressures and rising expectations from
residents.

Against this backdrop, the Local Government Association Independent Group has remained focused on supporting independent councillors and those from small parties, strengthening local democratic leadership and ensuring that independent voices continue to contribute meaningfully to national and sector-wide conversations about the future of local government. This report reflects the breadth of work undertaken by the Group over the past year, the strategic priorities that have guided our programme, and the collective effort of councillors, peers, officers and partners who continue to strengthen the Independent Group’s position within the wider local government sector.