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Your weekly London local government update

26 Mar 25

London local government finance 
debate to follow spring statement 

The Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR), which monitors the government's spending plans, will publish its forecast on the UK economy today. The chancellor will then present the OBR's findings to the House of Commons, and make her first spring statement.

A Westminster Hall Debate on Local Government Finances in London will also take place from 2:30pm.

The Westminster Hall debate has been secured by Calvin Bailey MP (Leyton and Wanstead) and is an opportunity for MPs to discuss the extreme pressures facing boroughs’ budgets. London Councils says ending the worsening crisis in town hall finances is critical for sustaining services and generating economic growth across the capital.

Chair of London Councils, Cllr Claire Holland ( [link removed] ), said: “The worsening crisis engulfing boroughs’ finances has worrying implications for local services and the capital’s growth prospects.

“The combination of years of structural underfunding, fast-rising demand for services such as homelessness and social care, and spiralling costs has pushed boroughs to the brink of bankruptcy.

“We know MPs share our concerns and want better funding solutions. Boroughs are as determined as ever to work with the government on our shared priorities, including more focus on prevention, delivering affordable housing, and boosting economic growth. Restoring stability to our budgets and local services is key to achieving this.”

Among London Councils’ key asks is a call for overall council funding to be restored to 2010 levels by 2028/29, requiring real-terms increases of 4% every year. The cross-party group’s priorities also include protection of funding for demand-led services to meet forecast levels of growth, access to a broader range of funding sources, and investment in the early intervention and prevention services that bring the most benefits over the long term.

London Councils’ Spending Review representation to the government can be found here. ( [link removed] )

London Data week

London Data Week, ( [link removed] ) London's city-wide public data festival, is returning from 7-13 July and organisations can apply to be part of it now. This fringe festival platforms organisations who use data to improve the lives of Londoners to run events or activities that engage with new communities or sectors. Grants are available for small organisations (deadline April 30). Find out more and apply to host an event here. ( www.londondataweek.org )

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City of London elections

City-wide elections for the Common Council of the City of London took place last week (19/20 March) The elections were for 100 vacancies across 25 Wards. Full results are available here. ( [link removed] )

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In the news this week...

Councils in England face ‘impossible decisions’ to build or repair homes
The Guardian ( [link removed] )

Education Secretary says 
London’s falling birth rate brings ‘opportunities to think creatively’
The Standard ( [link removed] )

Future Forum: Sector must find its voice
The MJ ( [link removed] )

Climate Connected Communities is a new initiative to support community representatives in strengthening community resilience to climate risks and extreme weather events. Between May and September 2025 the programme will provide community representatives across London with training, networking opportunities, and practical resources to strengthen local resilience. If you might be interested in applying to take part, you can find out more here. ( [link removed] )

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What topics are you interested in? Click here to let us know ( [link removed] )

London Local Government 
Directory

You can find contact details for every councillor in London in our London Government Directory here ( [link removed] )

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

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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.
London Councils, 4th Floor, 12 Arthur Street, London, EC4R 9AB

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