Labour are planning the biggest overhaul of local government in decades.
It will see some smaller, district councils combined into bigger “strategic authorities” with more sway over their areas – with the aim of getting things done much quicker, especially regarding building.
More people will also live under powerful regional mayors, like those in Greater Manchester and Liverpool, for example.
What’s the case for doing this?
Ministers argue many people live in areas covered by multiple councils and often don’t know which one to turn to.
You might have a parish council, a borough council, and a county council all operating where you live.
They hope their plan will be more efficient, both in terms of pushing things through (like housing) and also saving money.
And by providing more mayors, people will have a more obvious figurehead they can hold to account.
What’s the case against?
The Local Government Association and opposition parties have said it could dilute democracy.
Millions of people could end up under the same unitary authority, giving them less say over their immediate local area.
And then we come to perhaps the most contentious part…
What does this mean for local elections?
There are local elections coming up in May – likely to be a major test of Labour’s performance since coming into government.
It’s often the case that voters use local elections as a way of demonstrating their displeasure with what central government is up to, and Reform in particular are hoping for big gains.
But it’s worth noting the Tories still control plenty of councils, and they could well be under threat too.
Because of the government’s plans, though, some areas in which councils are looking to reorganise will now not have local elections until 2026.
They are East Sussex, West Sussex, Essex, Thurrock, Hampshire, Norfolk, Suffolk, Surrey, and the Isle of Wight.
Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey is just as unhappy as Reform – he’s said it’s a “disgraceful stitch-up”.