INSIDE BRIEFING with Institute for Government
May 2026 elections: what are the implications for local government reorganisation?
Published: 22 May 2026 at 13:34 Europe/London
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Episode notes
How has England’s political landscape changed after the May 2026 elections? How will new local leaders go about their new roles? And what does this mean for the delivery of the government’s local government reorganisation (LGR) agenda?
In this special episode of Inside Briefing, Matthew Fright, the Institute for Government’s LGR anorak, has been gathering views across three areas - Surrey, Essex and Kent – at the forefront of LGR delivery to see how the government’s aims to remove two-tier local government will be impacted by May’s elections.
PLUS: An expert panel to unpick the election results and consider the demanding in-tray facing new local leaders as they get up to speed on this once in a generation transformation of local areas.
Featuring:
Ed Hammond, Director of Public Sector Audit at Grant Thornton UK
Heather Jameson, Editor of MJ
Vicky Elliot, Director of the IfG Academy
Akash Paun, Programme Director for Devolution at IfG
Plus interviews with:
Cllr Tim Oliver OBE, Leader of Surrey County Council
Mari Roberts-Wood, Chief Executive of Reigate and Banstead District Council
Cllr Stephen Robinson, Leader of Chelmsford District Council
Cllr Kevin Bentley, former leader of Essex County Council
Cllr Linden Kemkaran, Leader of Kent County Council
Cllr Vince Maple, Leader of Medway Council
This podcast was produced with the kind support of Grant Thornton UK.
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