Councils to be merged in major local government shake-up

County Council elections could be pushed back amid plans to abolish districts

The county could become a unitary council and be part of a wider combined authority and share a metro mayor with neighbours

Devolution plan's council shake up for county sparks East Lancs split

The Labour government's 'devolution revolution' has split opinion across East Lancashire, as plans for taking back power continue to develop.

District councils face axe in major local government overhaul

The power of district councils to deliver positive outcomes for the places they serve has been underlined in responses to news they could be axed face axe in a major local government overhaul.

Labour’s gamble with local government

One evening in late August 2018, Northamptonshire County Council took the unprecedented decision to abolish itself. The council was drowning in debt and had been forced to take an axe to local services. Earlier that year it had become the first local authority in two decades to declare itself bankrupt. On the recommendation of Max Caller, the government’s chief council fixer who had been called in to conduct a review of the struggling authority,…

Mayor pushes back on unitary authority plan that could abolish borough council

Proposals could see Watford, Hertsmere, Three Rivers, and Hertfordshire councils merged into one unitary authorities or up to three.

Jim McMahon talks government's devolution plans and 'Chinese spy'

Merging councils under the government’s devolution plans could save £2 billion, MP for Oldham West, Chadderton and Royton, Jim McMahon, has…