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Your weekly London local government update

29 Oct 25

Inclusive Talent Strategy to kick start skills revolution in London

London Councils and the Mayor of London have jointly launched an Inclusive Talent Strategy for the capital, helping Londoners get the skills they need to progress their careers and break down the barriers to good work.

The strategy, formally launched last week, is a key milestone in delivering the London Growth Plan ( [link removed] ) , developed jointly by the Mayor and London Councils, in partnership with London boroughs, businesses, trade unions and others.

Chair of London Councils, Cllr Claire Holland ( [link removed] ),  said: “The Inclusive Talent Strategy sets out our ambition for how partners across London will work together in new ways to create real opportunities for Londoners facing the biggest barriers to work – including young people starting out, disabled residents, and those with long-term health conditions.

“Boroughs and sub-regional partnerships play a crucial role in providing skills, careers and employment support, and we're proud to integrate this with health services in our communities. The new strategy also better aligns skills training with employer needs and supports more inclusive recruitment - ultimately boosting incomes and helping make London a fairer place to live and work.”

Download the Inclusive Talent Strategy [PDF] here. ( [link removed] )

London Councils responds to housing announcements from the government and Mayor of London

Following recent announcements outlining measures to incentivise developers to kick start housebuilding in the capital, London Councils’ Executive Member for Housing and Regeneration, Cllr Grace Williams ( [link removed] ),  said: “The chronic shortage of affordable housing in the capital is the root cause of London’s skyrocketing rates of homelessness, with one in 50 Londoners currently homeless and living in temporary accommodation.

“If we want to end London’s homelessness emergency, we desperately need to build more affordable homes, including social homes. That will remain our priority as boroughs, supported by the £11.7bn announced for the capital through the Social and Affordable Homes Programme.

“The landscape for housing delivery has become increasingly challenging in recent years, with rising construction and borrowing costs posing issues for councils, housing associations, and developers. Boroughs have long called for bold action to accelerate housing delivery. In particular, we have made the case for funding and policy changes that would give councils greater financial capacity to support affordable housebuilding. The evidence shows this is the quickest and most effective way of accelerating housing delivery across all tenures.

“These announcements from the government and Mayor represent a significant change in approach. Boroughs will now be looking at the proposed changes in detail to understand the implications for housing delivery in our local areas. Ultimately, with boroughs having already granted planning permission for almost 300,000 homes in London that are yet to be built, we need to ensure housebuilders deliver on their commitments so that we can collectively tackle the housing crisis facing the capital.”

Case studies in prevention

To celebrate 60 years of the London boroughs, each week, London Councils is sharing prevention case studies highlighting how preventative action by London boroughs is helping to save money and improve the lives of their residents.

This week, our case study is from the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, where the council's decision to provide Universal Free School Meals to secondary school students (expanding on the existing provision for primary schools) has provided over a million meals, helping provide children with access to better learning environments and relieving pressure on families. Tower Hamlets is the youngest borough in the country, with 47.5% of children living below the poverty line, the highest rate in the country.

You can read the case study in full on our LinkedIn page ( [link removed] ) and all of our prevention case studies here ( [link removed] ).

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In the news this week...

Affordable homes target slashed to 20% to tackle London’s housebuilding crisis
The Standard ( [link removed] )
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Fears ’emergency’ measures for London will not solve housing crisis
LGC ( [link removed] )
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Frozen housing benefits and rising rents feel like 'quicksand'
BBC News ( [link removed] )
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Send reform postponed to next year
LGC ( [link removed] )
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Government stands firm on committee system abolition
The MJ ( [link removed] )
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'What is reasonable?' London council leader says housing options often local B&B or moving 250 miles
MyLondon ( [link removed] )
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Age UK London have launched a new survey to learn more about the experiences of older Londoners being treated unfairly based on their age. People of any age can complete the survey. You can complete the survey to share your experiences here ( [link removed] ).
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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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London Councils is the collective of local government in London, the 32 boroughs and the City of London.
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