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Your weekly London local government update

10 July  24

Boroughs respond to General Election result and new government

London Councils has congratulated Keir Starmer on his appointment as Prime Minister and reiterated its commitment to working in partnership with the national government to tackle the challenges facing the capital.

Deputy Chair of London Councils, Cllr Claire Holland ( [link removed] ), said: “We share many common goals: driving sustainable and inclusive growth, delivering new homes and infrastructure, tackling homelessness, and improving people’s health and wellbeing.

“With national and local government working together through a mission-led approach, we can secure a fairer, greener and more prosperous future for Londoners and for the country as a whole.

“Ensuring the financial stability of London boroughs is crucial for enabling us to play our part in achieving these goals. Addressing the acute funding challenges facing local authorities must remain a top priority.

“A revised devolution settlement for London also has the potential to unlock new opportunities in the capital and ensure that the boroughs and the Mayor of London are suitably equipped to deliver at pace, working in partnership with the government to tackle the challenges we face.”

You can find the General Election results for all 75 London constituencies on London Councils' election map here ( [link removed] ).

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London boroughs welcome housing growth priority measures

In her first major speech as Chancellor earlier this week, Rachel Reeves promised to "get Britain building again" by bringing back compulsory housebuilding targets, recruiting more planning officers and accelerating stalled sites.

Following the speech, London Councils Deputy Chair Cllr Claire Holland ( [link removed] ), said:  “Boroughs are strongly pro-housing growth and welcome the Chancellor prioritising this pivotal issue. We’re standing with hardhats on, shovels in hand, and ready to work with the government on our shared housebuilding ambitions.

“There is a desperate need to build more homes in the capital. Without new housing – particularly affordable housing and homes for social rent – London’s homelessness crisis will only continue to worsen. The capital’s future success depends upon us tackling this.

“Boroughs have a key role to play. We have a good record in supporting housebuilding and in granting planning permission, but we’re keen to go even further in ensuring more homes get built, more quickly. As well as reforming the planning system to maximise delivery, we also need to look at the wider challenges undermining housebuilding – such as lack of crucial local infrastructure, construction skills shortages, and insufficient long-term funding for developing affordable homes.”

By-elections results

Fifteen council ward by-elections in 12 London boroughs took place on the day of the General Election. You can find full results for all of them via the links below (wards in brackets), and a summary of the results in the table.

Barnet (Barnet Vale ( [link removed] )); Brent (Queen's Park ( [link removed]- )); Hackney (Cazenove ( [link removed] )); Haringey (Hornsey ( [link removed] )); Hounslow (Hanworth Village ( [link removed] )); Kingston upon Thames (Hook & Chessington North ( [link removed] )); Lambeth (Streatham Common & Vale ( [link removed] )); Lewisham (Blackheath ( [link removed] )); Merton (Figges Marsh and St Helier ( [link removed] )); Newham (Forest Gate North and Maryland ( [link removed] )); Southwark (Faraday and Rye Lane ( [link removed] )); Westminster (Abbey Road ( [link removed] )).

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In the news this week...

An opportunity for transformation but ‘urgent decisions’ needed: reaction to Labour’s general election victory
Room 151 ( [link removed] )

London borough chiefs tell Rachel Reeves: We're 'shovels in hand’ to help with house-building boom
Evening Standard ( [link removed] )

Housebuilding, planning, and growth
Public Sector Executive ( [link removed] )

Local Government sector responds to Labour general election win
Local Government Lawyer ( [link removed] )

The next government’s in-tray: Audit, intervention and devo
LGC ( [link removed] )

Councillors celebrate General Election success
LocalGov ( [link removed] )

Fresh calls for fiscal devo
The MJ ( [link removed] )

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LOTI will be hosting three webinars this month, you can find more details and sign up to attend in the links below:

17 July (12-1pm) Innovation Lunch; Learn: Tackling Rent
Arrears with Digital Solutions. ( [link removed] )

18 July (1-2pm) AI Opportunities in Housing Services ( [link removed] )

22 July (2-3pm) AI Opportunities in Adult Social Care ( [link removed] )

Borough leaders elected as MPs

Three London borough leaders were elected as MPs in the General Election:  

Cllr Georgia Gould, who has served as Chair of London Councils since 2020 and Leader of Camden Council since 2017, was elected as MP for Queen’s Park and Maida Vale.

Cllr Nesil Caliskan, Leader of Enfield Council and London Councils’ Executive Member for Health, Wellbeing and Adult Care, was elected as MP for Barking.

Cllr Jas Athwal, Leader of Redbridge Council and London Councils’ Executive Member for Community Safety and Violence Against Women and Girls, was elected as MP for Ilford South

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Comments or queries? Email the editor ( [email protected]?subject=Key%20Issues%3A )

visit londoncouncils.gov.uk ( [link removed] )

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London Councils is the collective of local government in London, the 32 boroughs and the City of London.We also run pan-London services like Freedom Pass and Taxicard. 59½ Southwark Street, London SE1 0AL | [email protected] ( [email protected] )

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