Council leaders in the West of England and the area's metro mayor Dan Norris will be invited to an informal meeting to discuss concerns that have emerged
While the overriding national media narrative following Thursday’s elections is of a reignited Labour civil war and triumph for Boris Johnson, it could be that this set of elections’ biggest long-term impact is on the position of mayor.
Beyond the Hartlepool parliamentary by-election, the polls’ theme of Tory triumph is surely best expressed through two Conservative mayoral victories.
Ben Houchen won the Tees Valley CA election by a whisker in 2017 but a country mile this time around. His 73% of the vote is greater than the Conservatives’ share in their safest parliamentary seat – and Teesside has a long history of being an area of Labour domination.
EXCLUSIVE: Council Tax Tracker uncovers reluctance to make maximum rise
A significant proportion of councils are likely to opt against imposing the maximum possible council tax rise on residents this year, LGC research suggests, despite the government’s expectations they should do so.
The first results of LGC’s 2021 Council Tax Tracker found almost half (47%) were not currently proposing a maximum increase. While the majority of these were stopping just short of the maximum increases allowed without holding a referendum – 4.99% for upper tier councils and whichever is the greater of 1.99% or £5 for districts – three councils in LGC’s sample, Hartlepool, Basildon and Spelthorne BCs, were planning to completely freeze council tax for 2021-22.