May 2026 elections: What are the implications for local government reorganisation?

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. He then brings together 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.