2 h. ago The number of council homes let in West Lothian dropped by almost 100 in a year

Lower turnover of properties is the principal reason for the drop from 243 between April and June last year to just 150 in the same period this year.

Politics

4 h. ago Judge considers Democratic challenge to Trump troop deployment in Memphis

City government declines to raise objection in court but state leaders and ACLU seek to block deployment of troopsA state court in Nashville on Monday heard a legal challenge by some Democratic elected officials to Donald Trump’s deployment of the national guard into the streets of Memphis, notable in part because of who has not raised an objection: the city of Memphis itself.Shelby county mayor Lee Harris led the lawsuit, along with state representatives Gabby Salinas and GA Hardaway, both Memphis Democrats. Other state and local leaders joined the suit, including one Memphis city council member. The ACLU later filed briefs in support of the suit seeking an injunction to block the deployment of troops. Continue reading...

Politics

23 h. ago Taxi driver caught out after charging £25 near iconic premier league ground after match

Enforcement officers from the local council were alerted to a cabbie illegally picking up fares outside Old Trafford when they heard a woman yell: "£25? Are you joking?"

Economics

38 h. ago Scottish Labour Minister says £1bn SNP Government underspend is 'stab in the eye' for local councils

Zubir Ahmed also accused the Scottish Government of eighteen years of "complete economic management".

Politics

41 h. ago Owners of 11 properties left teetering by cliff face due to rapid coastal erosion at notorious beauty spot warned their homes face demolition

The distressed owners in Hemsby, Norfolk, received letters from the local council explaining they are on the verge of being forced to leave so the wood-built chalets can be razed to the ground.

Events

52 h. ago Actor Alexandra Roach looks back: ‘I’m from a small town – when I snuck into a nightclub underage, 11 people told my dad’

The Utopia and No Offence star on channelling her righteous younger self, how she shakes off heavy roles, and her alter ego DJ DaveBorn in Ammanford, south Wales, in 1987, Alexandra Roach began her career in the S4C soap Pobol y Cwm, before training at Rada in London. Her first major role was as a young Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady in 2011, and she has gone on to star in TV dramas including Utopia, No Offence, Hunderby and Being Human; she is currently staring in Amazon Prime Video’s series Lazarus. She lives in Bristol with her husband and daughter.This is me in my living room. I’m 12 years old and proudly holding a letter I’d written to the local town council. In it, I pleaded with them to do something radical for the sake of the youth of Ammanford: open a Claire’s Accessories. Continue reading...

Politics

53 h. ago Surge in tenants demanding cash back from landlords after Rachel Reeves' 'illegal letting' scandal... and could Chancellor be one of those facing a big bill?

A charity recommended by the Chancellor's local council said her failure to get a licence to rent out her family home after moving to Downing Street had 'raised awareness'.

Economics

3 d. ago Iconic Prince Andrew yewtree could be REMOVED over Jeffrey Epstein scandal

The Irish Yew tree was planted by then-Prince Andrew but a local council is reviewing his legacy in the area as the scandal involving the late Jeffrey Epstein rumbles on

Politics

3 d. ago Free weight loss jabs to be offered to thousands of Scots in fight against obesity

EXCLUSIVE: Scottish Labour Health Minister Zubir Ahmed said obesity is a "disease of poverty" and claimed the medications could cut the sickness benefits bill.

Economics

4 d. ago European city popular with stag and hen parties cracks down on boozy Brits with new rule

The new rules are being introduced in an effort to curb antisocial behaviour, with the council revealing the negative impacts on their neighbours and local services

Politics

4 d. ago Now Andrew has been fired from the Firm, a nation wonders: who'll be next? | Marina Hyde

The king is reduced to a blustering CEO, Prince William to his head of HR. This de-princing could leave the entire House of Windsor facing redundancyIncredible news for residents of the likes of Prince Andrew Drive and Prince Andrew Way, who in recent years have sought name changes from their local councils to remove the unfortunate association with You Know Who. Thanks to last night’s historically dramatic action by the king, the dignity of those aforementioned small stretches of Britain has been restored. (If anyone happens to live in Andrew Mountbatten Windsor Close, my commiserations.) But has the dignity of the British monarchy – current custodians: the House of Windsor – been restored? No, I reckon. In fact, this has made it worse.By way of background, the royal family’s crises have not been external for some time. It is not beset by marauding forces, or rival claimants to its throne, or parliamentarian revolt. All its greatest crises in the past few decades have come from wit...

Events

5 d. ago SNP Government in £1bn underspend after accusing Westminster of austerity

The figure was contained in the Government’s annual accounts for 2024/25.

Economics

5 d. ago Reeves’ tenants could receive major payout after chancellor’s rent rule breach

Tenants may be able to apply for compensation if they have lived in an ‘unlicensed property’, according to chancellor’s local council

Politics

5 d. ago West Lothian chiefs quizzed over 'redundant and ugly' equipment on high street

Tom Conn, the local Labour councillor, asked environmental health staff why the apparatus was still in place a year after a monitoring order had been revoked.

Politics

5 d. ago Littering fines in west London borough jump to £250 in crackdown

Fines for graffiti and flyposting will also rise as the local council stamps down on offending

Economics

5 d. ago Business and charity leaders urge ministers to lead England’s transition to four

Open letter signed by more than 100 leaders comes after local government secretary criticised a council for switching to shorter weekAnalysis: Benefits of a four-day week are ever clearer, despite Steve Reed’s stanceMore than 100 business and charity leaders have called on ministers to “lead the country’s transition toward a shorter working week”, after the local government secretary criticised a council for shifting to a four-day work pattern.Steve Reed wrote to South Cambridgeshire district council, the first English council to trial a four-day week, raising concerns about performance and value for money, and expressing his “deep disappointment” over the policy. Continue reading...

Politics

5 d. ago I bought an EV to save money but it's costing me HUNDREDS more than running a diesel car

Kristian Lewin-Petrov, 45, from York, says he is being blocked from making savings on his car running costs by his local council.

Events

6 d. ago Dad, 34, took own life after 'suffering extreme stress' from local council row

Blackpool Council had uprooted dad of four Alistair Taylor, 34, from his business and the home he had specially adapted for his disabled children - a coroner ruled 'a number of factors' were responsible for his death

Politics

6 d. ago John Swinney to ask if Holyrood is strong enough to stand up to Reform ‘threat’

The First Minister and Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar will address a conference in Edinburgh on Wednesday.

Events

7 d. ago The Guardian view on state failure: Britain’s crisis is not just one of investment, but also of upkeep | Editorial

Fixing prisons, hospitals and local councils means rejecting austerity’s logic and recognising that state spending builds competence, not wasteThe fiasco over the accidental release of Hadush Kebatu, who was serving a sentence for sexual assault and due to be deported from HMP Chelmsford, is a symptom of a wider problem. What ails the British state is that it has built, and is building, what it cannot seem to maintain.A decade of attrition has hollowed out public services to the extent that they struggle to function coherently or plan beyond the next crisis. Under the Tories, state spending grew by just over 1% a year – well below the long-run trend of 2.6% per year. This hides the fact that Britain’s fiscal story since 2010 has been an emphasis on capital spending that sends ministers reaching for hard hats, but doesn’t keep the lights on. However, investment without maintenance is just decay.Do you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you wo...

Events