Mapping the road ahead

Posted on May 26, 2026

Writing in The MJ, our Acting Chair, Mayor Chris Cooke, pays tribute to Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton's leadership of SIGOMA whilst highlighting SIGOMA's ongoing priorities.

The recent local election results mark a moment of real change in the landscape of local government. Across many parts of the country, long-standing political certainties have been challenged, new voices and leadership have emerged, and voters have delivered a clear message about the pressures they face, what they want to see from government, and who they want to deliver it.

For SIGOMA (the Special Interest Group of Municipal Authorities), that moment of change is also a moment of reflection and renewal, with the results in Barnsley bringing an end to Labour's control of the council, and with it Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton's leadership of SIGOMA.

As Mayor of Middlesbrough, and as one of the current SIGOMA Vice-Chairs, I have been asked to serve as Acting Chair of SIGOMA until the organisation's Annual General Meeting in July.

I want to pay tribute to Cllr Houghton for his many years of dedication and service not only to Barnsley, but also to the SIGOMA membership more broadly. Cllr Houghton has been a formidable champion of fair funding for our members, working with local authorities and governments of all colours to ensure a fair deal for our communities. On behalf of all SIGOMA members, I want to place on record our deep gratitude for his service.

I am very conscious that SIGOMA brings together councils with a wide range of political perspectives and local circumstances, and that this diversity is one of its strengths. My role as acting chair during this short interim period will be to ensure continuity, support constructive engagement across the membership, and enable SIGOMA's business to continue to be conducted in a measured and collegiate way.

SIGOMA authorities have long argued that deprivation, inequality, and sustained funding pressures cannot be ignored. Local government must be empowered and properly resourced if it is to meet these challenges effectively.

Looking ahead, SIGOMA's priorities remain clear.

First, we will continue to press for a fair and sustainable funding settlement for local government, while making clear that the current settlement must be protected as a minimum baseline. The gap between need and resource remains acute, and without both short-term protection and longer-term reform, councils will continue to face impossible choices. While progress was made through the extension of the Recovery Grant for many of our members, more work is needed to ensure this support is maintained during the current settlement period and then embedded within a more durable and equitable funding system.

Second, we will advocate for a funding system that fully recognises deprivation as a structural driver of need. Our members serve communities with higher levels of demand across social care, housing, public health, and local services, yet operate with weaker local tax bases, leaving them less well equipped to meet these challenges. Any future settlement must be rooted in a robust and transparent understanding of need.

Third, we will continue to press for urgent reform and sustainable funding in Special Educational Needs and Disabilities (SEND), adult social care, and children's social care. These services are under severe and growing pressure from rising demand, increasing complexity, workforce challenges, and structural funding gaps. Councils are increasingly forced to divert resources from other services to meet statutory obligations. Without long-term reform, there is a significant risk to service quality, financial stability, and outcomes for vulnerable residents.

Fourth, we will continue to highlight the importance of investment in inclusive economic growth. Councils play a critical role in creating opportunity, but require the right tools, powers, and long-term certainty to do so.

Finally, we will remain a constructive and solutions focused organisation. The challenges facing our country require collaboration between local and national leaders.

These are not new priorities, but they take on renewed urgency in the context of the recent elections. At a time of political change, SIGOMA's role as a consistent, evidence led voice for local government is more important than ever.

I look forward to working with colleagues across our membership and with partners in government to ensure that the needs of our communities remain at the centre of decision making in the months and years ahead.

You can read the full article in The MJ here.