Category: local government

Devolution plans should empower councils and protect local jobs, says UNISON

Commenting on the publication of the government’s devolution white paper today (Monday), UNISON head of local government Mike Short said:

“Democratising local services could contribute significantly to government plans to grow the economy.

“But it’s crucial any proposals to phase out smaller district councils don’t undermine local decision-making or the ability of public service workers to deliver services.

“Nor must the plans lead to further micro-management by Whitehall. Local communities and council employees are best placed to know what works in their areas.

“It’s also vital the changes outlined in the white paper aren’t a smokescreen for cutting local authority jobs. After years of damaging austerity that has left councils at breaking point, investing in services and staff must be central to any reform.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: l.chinchen@unison.co.uk

The article Devolution plans should empower councils and protect local jobs, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Devolution plans should empower councils and protect local jobs, says UNISON

Commenting on the publication of the government’s devolution white paper today (Monday), UNISON head of local government Mike Short said:

“Democratising local services could contribute significantly to government plans to grow the economy.

“But it’s crucial any proposals to phase out smaller district councils don’t undermine local decision-making or the ability of public service workers to deliver services.

“Nor must the plans lead to further micro-management by Whitehall. Local communities and council employees are best placed to know what works in their areas.

“It’s also vital the changes outlined in the white paper aren’t a smokescreen for cutting local authority jobs. After years of damaging austerity that has left councils at breaking point, investing in services and staff must be central to any reform.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: l.chinchen@unison.co.uk

The article Devolution plans should empower councils and protect local jobs, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Opinion: When young people lose their services, we all pay more

by UNISON head of local government Mike Short

Keir Starmer has been under fire for the tough decisions made in the first months of his Labour Government. It’s important to remember the context for these decisions: an inheritance from the Tories of a £22bn black hole in the public purse, alongside the destruction wrought by 14 years of austerity.

The austerity plan began with £40bn worth of cuts to public services. The Tories claimed that this would result in long-term good; yet we continue to suffer from the consequences of those cuts today.

Shortly after that infamous austerity budget, the then prime minister David Cameron delivered a speech on ‘modern public service’ during which he said, “there are things that the government does today that it will have to stop doing”. Despite the tone of fiscal doom, the very first reassurance Cameron made was to continued investment in children’s services, to match spending in other major European economies.

But the reality, since 2010, has been very different – the decimation of children’s and youth services across the UK.

Cuts from central government, along with increasing demand for council services, have meant councils have been forced to do a lot more with a lot less.

UNISON research has revealed the funding gaps in every council in England, Wales and Scotland. Through Freedom of Information requests, UNISON uncovered UK-wide cumulative funding gaps of £4.3bn for 2025/26 and £8.5bn by 2026/27.

Find out the funding gap in your local council

Councils have legal obligations to provide children’s and youth services. However, this chasm in the finances of local councils has left many with no choice but to strip services back to the barest legal essentials. This has meant that between 2010 and 2023, at least 1,243 council-run youth centres and over a third (1,168) of all council-run children’s centres closed their doors.

Support outside of a classroom is something that not every child or young person will receive, in the home or elsewhere. Many children may face issues within their home that are outside of their control and may not find an outlet or a space where they feel heard at school.

For all these children and young people, children’s and youth centres can provide a safe haven for expression, learning and socialising.

And so the closures of youth centres, often alongside a lack of other facilities such as libraries, leisure centres and outdoor spaces, may leave young people even more isolated.

When children’s and youth centres close, it is not just would-be service users who suffer. Taking these services away seriously harms the life chances of young people, but also ends up costing the state a huge amount of money in the long term.

For example, the mass closure of these centres has played a major part in a record number of children joining school with speech difficulties. A 2023 report from Speech and Language UK found that 1.9 million primary and secondary school pupils were estimated to be behind with their speech and comprehension: that’s 20% of all UK pupils.

A report from Warwick University compared neighbours in a London borough where there had been drastic cuts to youth centres and found that teenagers affected by the closures scored 4% worse in their exams and were more likely to slip into crime, which would cost the state £3 for every £1 saved from the closures.

Mass closures of children’s and youth centres have robbed generations of their opportunities, and we owe it to future generations not to continue making the same mistakes. It’s vital that we end the continuous cuts that councils have faced and begin to undo the damage wreaked by years of austerity.

UNISON has long advocated for investment in public services as the best route forward. It’s now time to start properly funding our public services.

Write to your MP ahead of the Spring Spending Review and ask them to help Save our Services – by supporting a properly funding settlement for local government.

The article Opinion: When young people lose their services, we all pay more first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Opinion: When young people lose their services, we all pay more

by UNISON head of local government Mike Short

Keir Starmer has been under fire for the tough decisions made in the first months of his Labour Government. It’s important to remember the context for these decisions: an inheritance from the Tories of a £22bn black hole in the public purse, alongside the destruction wrought by 14 years of austerity.

The austerity plan began with £40bn worth of cuts to public services. The Tories claimed that this would result in long-term good; yet we continue to suffer from the consequences of those cuts today.

Shortly after that infamous austerity budget, the then prime minister David Cameron delivered a speech on ‘modern public service’ during which he said, “there are things that the government does today that it will have to stop doing”. Despite the tone of fiscal doom, the very first reassurance Cameron made was to continued investment in children’s services, to match spending in other major European economies.

But the reality, since 2010, has been very different – the decimation of children’s and youth services across the UK.

Cuts from central government, along with increasing demand for council services, have meant councils have been forced to do a lot more with a lot less.

UNISON research has revealed the funding gaps in every council in England, Wales and Scotland. Through Freedom of Information requests, UNISON uncovered UK-wide cumulative funding gaps of £4.3bn for 2025/26 and £8.5bn by 2026/27.

Find out the funding gap in your local council

Councils have legal obligations to provide children’s and youth services. However, this chasm in the finances of local councils has left many with no choice but to strip services back to the barest legal essentials. This has meant that between 2010 and 2023, at least 1,243 council-run youth centres and over a third (1,168) of all council-run children’s centres closed their doors.

Support outside of a classroom is something that not every child or young person will receive, in the home or elsewhere. Many children may face issues within their home that are outside of their control and may not find an outlet or a space where they feel heard at school.

For all these children and young people, children’s and youth centres can provide a safe haven for expression, learning and socialising.

And so the closures of youth centres, often alongside a lack of other facilities such as libraries, leisure centres and outdoor spaces, may leave young people even more isolated.

When children’s and youth centres close, it is not just would-be service users who suffer. Taking these services away seriously harms the life chances of young people, but also ends up costing the state a huge amount of money in the long term.

For example, the mass closure of these centres has played a major part in a record number of children joining school with speech difficulties. A 2023 report from Speech and Language UK found that 1.9 million primary and secondary school pupils were estimated to be behind with their speech and comprehension: that’s 20% of all UK pupils.

A report from Warwick University compared neighbours in a London borough where there had been drastic cuts to youth centres and found that teenagers affected by the closures scored 4% worse in their exams and were more likely to slip into crime, which would cost the state £3 for every £1 saved from the closures.

Mass closures of children’s and youth centres have robbed generations of their opportunities, and we owe it to future generations not to continue making the same mistakes. It’s vital that we end the continuous cuts that councils have faced and begin to undo the damage wreaked by years of austerity.

UNISON has long advocated for investment in public services as the best route forward. It’s now time to start properly funding our public services.

Write to your MP ahead of the Spring Spending Review and ask them to help Save our Services – by supporting a properly funding settlement for local government.

The article Opinion: When young people lose their services, we all pay more first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Investment in public services vital in delivering prime minister’s vision for Britain, says UNISON

Properly funded and sufficiently staffed public services are essential if the government is to deliver its vision for Britain, says UNISON today (Thursday), responding to Keir Starmer’s speech.

UNISON assistant general secretary Jon Richards said: “Repairing the damage wreaked by years of Tory mismanagement is a tough job that will take a while. The government has identified the challenges the country faces, now it’s time get to grips with them.

“It’s only possible to grow the economy, cut waiting times, improve opportunities for schoolchildren, build more houses and make communities safer with properly funded and sufficiently staffed public services.

“The NHS can’t be fixed until the crisis in social care is resolved. The promised national care service would raise standards, improve pay for staff and meet the needs of those needing help.

“Local authorities were clobbered by the previous government, leaving many councils in a perilous state. They need swift and decisive action to stabilise their finances and build much-needed housing.

“Catastrophic cuts to the police service saw a rise in recorded crime, the demise of neighbourhood policing and the near destruction of the probation service. As a result, justice is not being served, nor is it being seen to be delivered. Extra staff and funding are urgently required to rebuild public trust.

“School support staff are vital to the smooth running of schools and the experiences of pupils. Yet, with thousands thinking of leaving the profession, their working environment must better reflect the invaluable assistance they provide.

“If the government is to realise its ambitious agenda, it must work with the people who will be tasked with rebuilding the country.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service, and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary, and private sectors.

Media contacts: 
Dan Ashley M: 07789 518992 E: d.ashley@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk

The article Investment in public services vital in delivering prime minister’s vision for Britain, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Investment in public services vital in delivering prime minister’s vision for Britain, says UNISON

Properly funded and sufficiently staffed public services are essential if the government is to deliver its vision for Britain, says UNISON today (Thursday), responding to Keir Starmer’s speech.

UNISON assistant general secretary Jon Richards said: “Repairing the damage wreaked by years of Tory mismanagement is a tough job that will take a while. The government has identified the challenges the country faces, now it’s time get to grips with them.

“It’s only possible to grow the economy, cut waiting times, improve opportunities for schoolchildren, build more houses and make communities safer with properly funded and sufficiently staffed public services.

“The NHS can’t be fixed until the crisis in social care is resolved. The promised national care service would raise standards, improve pay for staff and meet the needs of those needing help.

“Local authorities were clobbered by the previous government, leaving many councils in a perilous state. They need swift and decisive action to stabilise their finances and build much-needed housing.

“Catastrophic cuts to the police service saw a rise in recorded crime, the demise of neighbourhood policing and the near destruction of the probation service. As a result, justice is not being served, nor is it being seen to be delivered. Extra staff and funding are urgently required to rebuild public trust.

“School support staff are vital to the smooth running of schools and the experiences of pupils. Yet, with thousands thinking of leaving the profession, their working environment must better reflect the invaluable assistance they provide.

“If the government is to realise its ambitious agenda, it must work with the people who will be tasked with rebuilding the country.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union, with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service, and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary, and private sectors.

Media contacts: 
Dan Ashley M: 07789 518992 E: d.ashley@unison.co.uk
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk

The article Investment in public services vital in delivering prime minister’s vision for Britain, says UNISON first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Opinion: A week from the budget, the country needs a new direction

By UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea

There’s been much speculation over the past few weeks as to what might be in Labour’s first budget for 14 years. Two things we do know for certain are that the government has inherited a difficult financial situation and the chancellor faces a challenging task.

The country is in urgent need of a new direction and there will be much interest in what Rachel Reeves outlines when she unveils her much-anticipated autumn spending plan next Wednesday (30 October).

The Conservatives have left behind a colossal £22bn black hole for the current year that is blighting public finances. The chancellor has also talked of a £40bn funding gap that the government needs to fill over the lifetime of the current parliament to avoid a return to austerity.

Closing this while generating economic growth won’t be a painless experience and there is a clearly a price to be paid for the years of dreadful Tory economic mismanagement. But working people and our public services should be protected along the way too.

In its manifesto, Labour pledged not to raise taxes on working people. The tax burden on them is already too heavy, and it’s time to ease that pressure. Instead, ministers should focus on increasing taxes on unearned wealth. It’s also crucial to close the tax loopholes that let non-doms avoid paying their fair share and to prevent oil and gas companies from raking in massive profits while polluting the planet.

We now have a government that recognises the value of public services, and the chancellor has pledged there’ll be no return to the damaging spending cuts of the past. We know well-resourced, effectively staffed services can help grow the economy. But the challenge for the government is to generate the growth to make all this possible.

The budget is a huge opportunity for the chancellor to set the tone and start delivering the resources to invest in and boost the NHS, and other essential services like schools, police, probation and local government.

Ad hoc, panicked cash injections – as we saw under the Conservatives – won’t cut it. What’s needed is a long-term, sustainable plan to see us through the next five years at least, with funding made a priority and the workforce supported along the way.  

Public service employees have kept this country running despite years of pay freezes, below-inflation awards, staffing crises and austerity. They deserve fair wages to reflect the value of the essential services they provide, address the disparity between their income and the cost of living, and help fill the huge number of vacancies.

In addition, pensioners already struggling to get by must have the winter fuel allowance returned to them. Otherwise, such cuts will push the vulnerable elderly into greater hardship, and we must not leave them out in the cold.

Older people are keeping warm in libraries while local councils are considering closing these essential community spaces due to the increasingly perilous state of their finances.

The chancellor must protect local services with a sensible funding settlement, step in to stop closures of key local services and lend a helping hand to local government as more and more authorities struggle to balance their books.

The budget must signal that Labour is serious about growth and that now is the time for a new direction.

The article Opinion: A week from the budget, the country needs a new direction first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Opinion: A week from the budget, the country needs a new direction

By UNISON general secretary Christina McAnea

There’s been much speculation over the past few weeks as to what might be in Labour’s first budget for 14 years. Two things we do know for certain are that the government has inherited a difficult financial situation and the chancellor faces a challenging task.

The country is in urgent need of a new direction and there will be much interest in what Rachel Reeves outlines when she unveils her much-anticipated autumn spending plan next Wednesday (30 October).

The Conservatives have left behind a colossal £22bn black hole for the current year that is blighting public finances. The chancellor has also talked of a £40bn funding gap that the government needs to fill over the lifetime of the current parliament to avoid a return to austerity.

Closing this while generating economic growth won’t be a painless experience and there is a clearly a price to be paid for the years of dreadful Tory economic mismanagement. But working people and our public services should be protected along the way too.

In its manifesto, Labour pledged not to raise taxes on working people. The tax burden on them is already too heavy. Instead, ministers should focus on increasing taxes on unearned wealth. It’s also crucial to close the tax loopholes that let non-doms avoid paying their fair share and to prevent oil and gas companies from raking in massive profits while polluting the planet.

We now have a government that recognises the value of public services, and the chancellor has pledged there’ll be no return to the damaging spending cuts of the past. We know well-resourced, effectively staffed services can help grow the economy. But the challenge for the government is to generate the growth to make all this possible.

The budget is a huge opportunity for the chancellor to set the tone and start delivering the resources to invest in and boost the NHS, and other essential services like schools, police, probation and local government.

Ad hoc, panicked cash injections – as we saw under the Conservatives – won’t cut it. What’s needed is a long-term, sustainable plan to see us through the next five years at least, with funding made a priority and the workforce supported along the way.  

Public service employees have kept this country running despite years of pay freezes, below-inflation awards, staffing crises and austerity. They deserve fair wages to reflect the value of the essential services they provide, address the disparity between their income and the cost of living, and help fill the huge number of vacancies.

In addition, pensioners already struggling to get by must have the winter fuel allowance returned to them. Otherwise, such cuts will push the vulnerable elderly into greater hardship, and we must not leave them out in the cold.

Older people are keeping warm in libraries while local councils are considering closing these essential community spaces due to the increasingly perilous state of their finances.

The chancellor must protect local services with a sensible funding settlement, step in to stop closures of key local services and lend a helping hand to local government as more and more authorities struggle to balance their books.

The budget must signal that Labour is serious about growth and that now is the time for a new direction.

The article Opinion: A week from the budget, the country needs a new direction first appeared on the UNISON National site.

Council and school workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland asked to vote on possible strike action

Thousands of social workers, teaching assistants, planning officers, caretakers and other school and council staff are to be asked if they’re prepared to take strike action over this year’s pay offer, says their union UNISON today (Friday).

The move follows a recent consultation concerning the 2024/25 wage rise for local authority and school workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland. In this vote 81% of the workers who took part opted to reject what they’d been offered.

The pay offer from the local government employers was for £1,290. The wage rise was due in April. The offer has been accepted by the GMB, but not by UNISON or Unite.

Ballot papers will now be sent to around 360,000 UNISON members across England and Wales, with Northern Ireland to follow later. The ballot will open on 4 September and close on 16 October.

UNISON head of local government Mike Short said: “Council and school staff were asked what they wanted to do about the employers’ pay offer. A majority of those who took part opted to reject the £1,290 increase.

“Now the union’s committee of leading activists has decided to conduct an industrial action ballot to try to secure an improved pay offer.

“The legal threshold required is a hard one to meet, and so everyone who wants to take action must be sure that they and all their colleagues return their ballot papers. The local government employers should come forward with an improved pay offer.”

Notes to editors:
– UNISON is the UK’s largest union with more than 1.3 million members providing public services in education, local government, the NHS, police service and energy. They are employed in the public, voluntary and private sectors.

Media contacts:
Anthony Barnes M: 07834 864794 E: a.barnes@unison.co.uk
Liz Chinchen M: 07778 158175 E: press@unison.co.uk

The article Council and school workers in England, Wales and Northern Ireland asked to vote on possible strike action first appeared on the UNISON National site.

14 years of the Tories – local government

Head of local government Mike Short on why councils and council workers are ‘in the depths of crisis’

The last 14 years have seen the local government sector hollowed out by a Conservative government that has no interest in local democracy or local services.

Local government has long struggled for proper recognition for the vital work that it does. Unless you need a social worker, library or a youth centre, you may not notice what’s happened to these services under the Tories.

But UNISON’s research and the experience of our members is clear. Since 2010, 1,243 youth centres have been closed in England and Wales, removing a vital source of support for young people. Social workers have been left over-worked and struggling to keep up with demand, leaving the most vulnerable members of local communities in real trouble. And 877 public libraries have disappeared, depriving people of an essential community hub for learning.

The COVID-19 pandemic brought home to many people how vital their councils actually are. It was council workers who stepped in to provide test and trace services, deliver food parcels to older people, and ensure we all have safe, open spaces.

But the government refuses to accept this and has continued to slash the funding available for councils.

The result has been the loss of hundreds of thousands of jobs in local government. And like in so many other public services, the staff are the service. Without housing workers, there’s no housing service, for example; without environmental health and trading standards officers, our localities and the products we buy aren’t safe.

There is wide acceptance that pay rates in local government are too low. Under the Tories, there’s been a race to the bottom – with the bottom rate of pay hovering around the legal minimum wage. Workers’ standard of living has plummeted, with the real value of local government pay falling by more than 25% since 2010.

Where has all this left us? In the depths of crisis. With our services in tatters, one council after another declaring itself effectively bankrupt, staff angry and demoralised – striving to provide high-quality services while struggling to make enough to provide for themselves and their families.

We’re at a a crossroads in the history of local government in the UK. The general election will determine whether or not we take the right path.

The article 14 years of the Tories – local government first appeared on the UNISON National site.