An Assessment of the Resilience of Local Government in England: Was it Well-Equipped to Overcome the Covid-19 Pandemic?

This article explores the resilience of local government in England and its ability to cope during the Covid‐19 pandemic. The resilience of local government is explored in three areas: its ability to cope financially; contain and manage risks; and promote civic engagement and collaborations with other sectors. By drawing on the evolutionary perspective of resilience, the article explores whether local government in England was well‐equipped to overcome a crisis of such scale. In particular, it does so by exploring the institutional context of local government and how it shaped the resilience of local government and influenced its ability to develop the type of resources needed to cope with the Covid‐19 crisis. The analysis shows a mixed and complex picture. While there is evidence that points to the ability of local government to contain the risks of the pandemic, protect their communities and engage in innovative practices, there is also evidence that points to the fragility and vulnerabilities of local government. The article concludes that local government was not well‐equipped to overcome the pandemic crisis, thus affecting its ability to provide a better response to, and management of it.