Gareth Bacon: Khan pushed up Council Tax – but he fails to give priority to fighting crime
London’s Mayor is overseeing an administration typified by virtue signalling, financial incompetence, and wasteful spending.
John Bald: How Twitter’s dogs of war were unleashed on me
The clear aim of most of the torrent was utter destruction. It was a warning of what we can expect if Corbyn and his nasty supporters ever get into power.
Peter Golds: Suspended councillors, polling station mobs…and demonic Smurfs. Yes, it’s election time again in Tower Hamlets.
In 1872 the secret ballot was introduced to prevent open voting. 137 years later, the United Kingdom cannot guarantee a secret ballot in our capital city.
Robert Alden: As the waste piles up in Birmingham, mull this dry run for a future Labour Government
Residents wondering when it will be collected will be able to vouch for the failure of the city’s testbed for a Corbyn administration.
Theodora Dickinson: The Conservative campaign machine in London is in a dire state
Our capital is an aspirational city where a message of opportunity from our party should cut through. We can win these voters back. We just need to try.
Miles Evans: Devolution to town councils makes financial sense
Newbury Town Council has shown how we can retain services and save money, by community collaboration. It is the triumph of the small state over the nanny state.
Gerard Hargreaves: The long journey in Kensington and Chelsea to rebuild local trust
Our borough is still recovering from the Grenfell tragedy. We’re working hard to share information on how decisions are made.
Michelle Lowe: How local government can ease the pressure on the NHS
In Sevenoaks District Council we contact people that regularly miss appointments to find out why and how we can help.
Tom Bell: We should embrace a “digital-by-default” approach to make council services more efficient
Embracing technology can include smart bins to improve waste collection and electric vehicles to reduce running costs and improve air quality.
Gary Porter: Self-build and custom build will become increasingly important to delivering the new homes we need
In the UK, we have lost the capacity for individuals to provide or commission homes individually tailored to their needs.
Stephanos Ioannou: Councils have the financial incentive to rubber stamp bad development proposals
Jeopardising local beauty and conservation for the sake of housebuilding is a real problem for councillors. We have to defend our communities.
James Palmer: We need a Minister for East West Rail
We must drive this project forward. It is a vital piece of infrastructure which could allow a million new homes to be built. But we need to sort out the route.
Meirion Jenkins: Birmingham is the largest metropolitan authority in Europe – and one of the worst-run.
The structure and management of the council needs total reform. I would reduce the current 101 councillors to around 30.
Council by-election results from yesterday
In the first contests of the year, independent candidates held seats in East Sussex and Rother.
Ben Houchen: Free Ports would allow leaving the EU to boost the most deprived regions of the UK
The new Shared Prosperity Fund, which will replace EU funding into the regions, is a great opportunity to put areas like mine back in control.