Martin George

3 weeks ago | astronomy.com | Martin George

Venus, shining as a morning star, peeks out from behind a cloud, a halo of light around it. Credit: Mike Lewinski (Flickr, CC BY 2.0) Face north after darkness falls and the prominent constellations Taurus, Orion, Canis Major, and Gemini will grab your attention. Mars resides in the last of these star groups during April’s first half. The magnitude 0.4 planet starts the month 4° south of Gemini’s luminary, 1st-magnitude Pollux.

3 weeks ago | lgcplus.com | Martin George

Most councils are likely to see their pension contribution rates reduced following the three-yearly valuation of the Local Government Pension Scheme which takes place today, leading actuaries have said. The lower rates, which would take effect in 2026-27 and free up money for other council priorities, would be the result of council pension funds achieving bigger surpluses. It will not effect the amount of pension scheme members will receive.

1 month ago | lgcplus.com | Martin George

Council pension funds returned to growth in 2023-24 but an LGC investigation finds this masked some disappointing investment returns. For the Local Government Pension Scheme, 2023-24 can be chalked up as a year of recovery. But although official government statistics outline a multi-billion pound growth in the scheme’s value, an LGC analysis of pension fund accounts shows this large gain concealed investment returns that often failed to hit their targets.

1 month ago | lgcplus.com | Greg Fell |Martin George

Sunday marks the fifth anniversary of the first covid lockdown. Ahead of the next pandemic, we must learn lessons about using local expertise, data sharing and addressing wider determinants of health, writes the president of the Association of Directors of Public Health. As we mark the fifth anniversary of the start of the covid pandemic, we reflect on the lessons learned and how we can best prepare for future pandemics.

1 month ago | lgcplus.com | Martin George

Politicians may be doing the electoral maths when considering their options for creating new councils but voters might not always do what they expect, writes deputy editor Martin George. Back when I was a studying for my journalism degree, my course included a whole unit about the workings of local government. The assumption was that most journalists would start their careers in the local press, even though it was already a much diminished sector.