Governance

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Company governance - conflicts of interest for officers and members

Company governance - conflicts of interest for officers and members

In the second of his two-part mini-series on governance failures in local authority companies, Geoff Wild examines how to avoid conflicts of interest arising between the company and the council. In particular he looks at those council officers and members who are appointed as directors, where the potential for such conflict is significant - but can be managed.

June 25, 2026

Company governance - conflicts of interest for officers and members

4-5 Gray's Inn Square Governance

News

Suffolk says Secretary of State went against advice of officials in backing three-unitary model

June 25, 2026

Oldham, London, and Bradford and Keighley announced as first places to be investigated in Grooming Gangs Inquiry

June 25, 2026

London borough warns new guidance from equalities watchdog creates “legal and operational” uncertainty for councils

June 24, 2026

Third council issues judicial review proceedings over reorganisation

Jun 24, 2026

Unitary approves judicial review bid against Hampshire local government reorganisation

Jun 23, 2026

LGA updates guidance on local authority public health responsibilities

Jun 23, 2026

Essex to launch judicial review proceedings over reorganisation plans

Jun 19, 2026

Peers raise questions about Equality Act 2010 Code of Practice

Jun 19, 2026

LGA criticises lack of impact assessment for extension of Armed Forces Covenant duty

Jun 19, 2026

Reed chose five-unitary Essex model despite officials recommending three councils, letter reveals

Jun 18, 2026

District set to launch legal challenge over Norfolk reorganisation plans

Jun 18, 2026

Law change ending requirement to publish home addresses of councillors to come into force at end of month

Jun 17, 2026

Reed announces plan to define role of mayors and strategic authorities in public service reform and procurement

Jun 17, 2026

Welsh Language Commissioner renews call for application of language standards to more organisations

Jun 11, 2026

County approves next steps towards reorganisation judicial review

Jun 11, 2026

Minister insists reorganisation decisions made within criteria as MPs question breakup of districts

Jun 10, 2026

Reorganisation placing strain on council capacity and resilience, LGA annual report on peer challenges says

Jun 10, 2026

Conservatives would scrap Public Sector Equality Duty, says Badenoch

Jun 09, 2026

Combined authority monitoring officer says “we can’t do politics” mindset is no longer sustainable amid political upheavals

Jun 09, 2026

Standards reforms to come “as soon as parliamentary time allows”, minister insists

Jun 08, 2026

CIPFA chief tells council officers to “get over” reorganisation disputes and focus on delivery

Jun 08, 2026

County councils urge PM to reveal rationale for reorganisation decisions

Jun 04, 2026

District council rules out legal challenge over local government reorganisation

Jun 04, 2026

Thinktank calls for minimum scrutiny standards for strategic authorities

Jun 03, 2026

Amend constitutions for national scheme of delegation of planning functions or face judicial reviews, councils in England warned

Jun 02, 2026

Suffolk becomes latest council to issue pre-action letter over reorganisation

Jun 02, 2026

Three North West councils to share chief executive and monitoring officer ahead of local government reorganisation

Jun 01, 2026

High Court grants claimant permission for judicial review over 2023 council meeting question ban

May 29, 2026

Plan to merge town and parish councils paused after judicial review threat

May 29, 2026

Government announces new intervention powers to tackle risky council investments

May 28, 2026

Legal challenge over decision on reorganisation “would fail”, council told

May 28, 2026

City of London instructs officers “to pursue steps to lawfully remove” Freedom of the City from Andrew Mountbatten-Windsor

May 26, 2026

Thinktank urges Government to close regulatory gap on “unreliable” AI services during elections

May 26, 2026

Report on government transparency releases suggests “enormous room for improvement”

May 26, 2026

Meaningful devolution and sufficient funding key to delivery of 'Neighbourhood Guarantee', say councils

May 26, 2026

Government lays Equality and Human Rights Commission draft updated Code of Practice in Parliament

May 22, 2026

Police arrest five in investigation into alleged local election fraud

May 21, 2026

LGA launches new video series to combat AI deepfakes

May 19, 2026

Reform-run county issues letter before claim over reorganisation plans

May 19, 2026

Plans for multi-unitaries in county areas risk funding misallocation, analysis warns

May 19, 2026

Reform councils vow to legally challenge local government reorganisation

May 19, 2026

Deputy Monitoring Officer finds evidence of maladministration over Edinburgh tram project

May 18, 2026

LGA seeks clarity on legal privilege and criminal offences in duty of candour bill

May 18, 2026

Local Government Reorganisation 2026

Local Government Reorganisation 2026

Read our exclusive guide providing insight into the challenges that senior legal professionals are facing, alongside a step-by-step look at the work they will need to complete to ensure a smooth transition.

March 16, 2026

Local Government Reorganisation 2026

Must read

Cyber Security and Resilience Bill: Why Local Authorities Cannot Afford to Wait

The UK Government’s proposed Cyber Security and Resilience Bill is likely to mark a significant shift in regulatory expectations. Jonathan Askin, Partner at Hugh James, explores the reasons why.

Cyber Security and Resilience Bill: Why Local Authorities Cannot Afford to Wait

Features

AI in local decision-making: Old duties, new risks

AI in local decision-making: Old duties, new risks

June 25, 2026

Bill Cordingley looks at the legal implications of authorities adopting AI.

Local Government Reorganisation: a practical update to Section 24 controls

Local Government Reorganisation: a practical update to Section 24 controls

May 27, 2026

Gemma Duncan provides an update on potential changes to how s24 directions will operate, tackling a long-standing issue around historic financial commitments.

Living Through Local Government Reorganisation

Living Through Local Government Reorganisation

May 22, 2026

What it feels like when the map changes, the organisation chart redraws, and you still have to answer the phone.

Cyber Security and Resilience Bill: Why Local Authorities Cannot Afford to Wait

Cyber Security and Resilience Bill: Why Local Authorities Cannot Afford to Wait

May 20, 2026

The UK Government’s proposed Cyber Security and Resilience Bill is likely to mark a significant shift in regulatory expectations. Jonathan Askin, Partner at Hugh James, explores the reasons why.

Governance of Council Companies

Governance of Council Companies

May 18, 2026

King’s Speech 2026 – Sharpe Pritchard’s Take

King’s Speech 2026 – Sharpe Pritchard’s Take

May 14, 2026

Why Councils Are Adopting the Leisure “Agency Model” to Unlock VAT Efficiencies

Why Councils Are Adopting the Leisure “Agency Model” to Unlock VAT Efficiencies

May 13, 2026

Local Elections 2026: What the Results Mean for Councils – and How Sharpe Pritchard Can Help

Local Elections 2026: What the Results Mean for Councils – and How Sharpe Pritchard Can Help

May 13, 2026

Generative AI in complaints and requests: Opportunities, risks and implications for public bodies

Generative AI in complaints and requests: Opportunities, risks and implications for public bodies

May 13, 2026

The English Devolution and Community Empowerment Act 2026

May 07, 2026

High Court rules on the service of local authority decision notices by email

Apr 30, 2026

Separation of Powers in Wales: Is there a duty to consult before introducing a Bill into the Senedd Cymru?

Apr 24, 2026

Individual ward member delegated powers

Apr 23, 2026

What next for council consultations?

Apr 23, 2026

Officer reports and decisions to close care homes

Apr 15, 2026

Planning committees and delegation

Apr 09, 2026

Greyhound racing and the separation of powers

Apr 07, 2026

CILEX and others v Mazur and others [2026] EWCA Civ 369

Apr 07, 2026

The Hillsborough Law Bill: implications for public bodies

Apr 02, 2026

Intervention: the Monitoring Officer’s view

Mar 26, 2026

The role of the backbench councillor

Mar 26, 2026

Correcting mistakes in public decision making

Mar 26, 2026

Anti-Money Laundering: Key Issues for Local Government Legal and Governance Teams

Mar 09, 2026

What is an Officer?

Feb 25, 2026

Webinars

Devolution and Local Government Reorganisation: the planning perspective

In this webinar, you will hear about how devolution and local government reorganisation will shape plan-making and development management.

Public Law Update Webinar

Inquiry Law webinar series — Session 3: Challenging (& Challenge Proofing) Inquiries

Inquiry Law webinar series - Session 2: Issues of Evidence

Avoiding local government failure – the changes needed by the sector to safeguard against failure

Avoiding local government failure – the tools and resources often overlooked by councils in trouble

Avoiding local government governance failure – the lessons that can be learnt by others from current failures in the sector