The Local Government information Unit (LGiU) is a local government membership body,
thinktank and
registered charity. Established in 1983 as a membership organisation for UK
local authorities
Local government is a generic term for the lowest tiers of public administration within a particular sovereign state. This particular usage of the word government refers specifically to a level of administration that is both geographically-loca ...
, the LGiU states that its mission is to strengthen local democracy and put citizens in control of their own lives, communities and services. The LGiU has around 200 local authority members across the UK and Republic of Ireland and a wide range of associate members and partner organisations.
The Chief Executive is Jonathan Carr-West, formerly of
the RSA
The Royal Society for the Encouragement of Arts, Manufactures and Commerce (RSA), also known as the Royal Society of Arts, is a London-based organisation committed to finding practical solutions to social challenges. The RSA acronym is used m ...
.
Andy Sawford was Chief Executive of the LGiU until 2012, when he was elected MP for Corby. The Chair of the Board is Councillor Michael Payne of
Gedling Borough Council
Gedling is a village in the Gedling district, in Nottinghamshire, England, four miles northeast of Nottingham city centre. The population at the 2011 census of the ward was 6,817 and 111,787 for the district. Gedling was recorded in the Domes ...
, Nottinghamshire. In July 2008 the LGiU was voted Thinktank of the Year in the Public Affairs News Awards.
The LGiU has released a number of publications on policy areas including devolution, localism, adult social care, public-private sector partnerships and the role of local authorities in the schools system. They also frequently publish policy briefings for members, as well as a daily news service. They run the Cllr Achievement Awards, which recognises achievement in local government.
The LGiU is Secretariat to the All-Party Parliamentary Group for Local Government, current chaired by Chris Clarkson, MP formerly chaired by Heather Wheeler MP.
The Centre for Public Service Partnerships (CPSP) and the Local Government Information Unit joined forces in January 2010, forming a unit known as CPSP @ LGiU. Writer John Tizard, formerly the CPSP's director, became the head of the new unit.
CPSP and LGiU partnership
published 11 December 2009, accessed 15 August 2020
In September 2015, LGiU launched LGiU Scotland, a policy information service dedicated to local government across Scotland. In 2017, LGiU launched LGiU Ireland. In 2020, LGiU in collaboration with SGS Policy and Planning launched LGiU Australia.
References
External links
*{{Official website, http://www.lgiu.org
Local government in the United Kingdom
Think tanks based in the United Kingdom
1983 establishments in the United Kingdom
Think tanks established in 1983