“GDS Local is an important step forward in transforming public services,” said Cllr Liam Robinson as ministers unveiled a new unit to help councils upgrade day‑to‑day services. Announced on Saturday 22 November 2025, the programme sits within the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology, with Liverpool City Region working alongside officials from the outset.

GDS Local’s brief is straightforward: help councils give residents quicker, simpler online services. That includes preparing for a single account across tiers of government via GOV.UK One Login and the GOV.UK App, fixing tech procurement so councils aren’t tied into costly, long contracts, and sharing anonymised data through the new Government Digital and Data Hub to copy what works.

For households across Merseyside and Halton, the promise is fewer logins and faster tasks - from reporting potholes to managing council tax. The GOV.UK App entered public beta in July, while One Login remains in public beta and, for now, is not open to local authorities. GDS Local’s job is to chart a path so councils can join in due course.

The tech market piece matters in town halls facing tight budgets. DSIT is already building a National Digital Exchange to rate suppliers and chase £1.2bn a year in savings, echoing GDS Local’s push to end so‑called “ball and chain” deals. Recent scrutiny in Parliament of large software contracts underlines why councils want more choice and better value.

Skills and community also get a lift. The Government Digital and Data Hub has gone live as a cross‑public sector space for training, careers and events - from AI courses to networking - with the aim of growing a modern digital workforce that can improve frontline services.

This isn’t another London‑only initiative. GDS says it employs more than 1,000 people with hubs in Manchester, London and Bristol - a signal that northern practitioners will be central to delivery and not just spectators.

Next week brings a hands‑on test. The Local Government Innovation Hackathon in Birmingham on 26–27 November will bring developers, designers and council teams together at Millennium Point to build practical tools for tackling homelessness and rough sleeping.

Liverpool City Region arrives with groundwork already laid. A residents‑written Community Charter on Data and AI sets rules for responsible use of data, developed through the Civic Data Cooperative and backed by the Mayor’s “AI for Good” mission. The region’s Office for Public Service Innovation is now using shared data and early intervention to improve outcomes.

Ministers link the digital overhaul to a wider productivity push. The government’s own State of Digital Government Review points to more than £45bn a year in potential public‑sector efficiencies, though MPs and analysts warn old systems, data gaps and skills shortages will stall progress unless addressed head‑on.

The politics are clear: the renamed Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government is back in the tent, and GDS Local is being sold as an end to the postcode lottery online. For northern councils and suppliers, the near‑term watch‑outs are procurement reform, staff upskilling via the new Hub, and practical pilots that prove value on the ground.