Kirsty Weakley

Martin Reeves, chief executive of Oxfordshire CC, has been made an OBE in the King’s birthday honours. The former chiefs of North East Lincolnshire Council, Rob Walsh, and Hampshire CC, Carolyn Williamson, were also made OBEs. This year 1,182 people were recognised for their contributions to their communities. Mr Reeves, who has been chief at Oxfordshire since March 2023, said: “I’m incredibly honoured to receive this award.

Burnley BC has been named LGC Council of the Year at a ceremony that recognised and celebrated local government. The council beat competition from Cardiff Council, North Yorkshire Council, Northumberland CC and Sutton LBC. Judges made in-person visits to each of the shortlisted councils in the weeks leading up to the ceremony and a winner was chosen following a live-judging process earlier today for the headline award, sponsored by Zurich Municipal.

The local government minister gave hints of things to come in an appearance before MPs this morning, writes head of news Kirsty Weakley. Being grilled by a select committee is the ultimate test of how well a minister copes under pressure. Forget Jeremy Paxman, these sessions last up to two hours, with MPs determined to extract answers on a range of topics. Meanwhile ministers want to show they are on top of the issues, without pre-empting any announcements coming soon.