Title goes to North West Leicestershire District Council!

Twenty-eight teams took part in the Young Local Authority of the Year 2026 competition in early March. The event took place in the majestic setting of Crewe Hall Hotel in Crewe.

Each team researched, wrote and delivered a six-minute Argument paper on a subject, of their own choice, of current interest or controversy. Another challenge called On the Spot (OTS) required each team to ask itself a question and then answer it without notes in as close to two minutes as possible.

A well-written and passionate paper on bias and discrimination in the workplace won the title Young Local Authority of the Year 2026 for North West Leicestershire District Council. Team members Georgina Gwillim and Jade Neave received the trophy on the final evening in Crewe.

Liverpool City Council (Sam Lake and Archie Lee-Ellis) were runners-up, with an evocative paper on the decline of working-class consciousness. And Guildford and Waverley Borough Councils (Liliana Lake and Abi Lowless) were highly commended for a compassionate paper on our relationship with urban wildlife.

Oxfordshire County Council (Prisca Munzemba and Sara Rafaty) won a special award for best OTS. The team asked: Why should we buy fewer clothes? Their presentation was engaging, humorous and packed with striking research to back up their case.

The adjudicators, Islay McLeod, Josh Moir and Mairi Clare Rodgers, thanked all teams for their hard work and enthusiasm.

It was a lively event and we wish all teams the very best for the future!