This page lists official places to find your council, follow local decisions, ask for information, read public spending, serve, vote and check what you are told in the UK. Every service here is run by government, Parliament, a regulator, an ombudsman or a statutory body, is free to use, and takes no side on any party, candidate or referendum question.
GOV.UK: Find your local councilEnter a postcode to find the website for your local council in England, Wales, Scotland or Northern Ireland.www.gov.uk/find-local-council
GOV.UK: Understand how your council worksA guide to councils in England: types of council, how decisions are made, council finances, councillors and complaints, with links for Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.www.gov.uk/understand-how-your-council-works
GOV.UK: Local councillors and electionsExplains that councillors are elected to represent the local community, that you can contact them online or at an advice surgery, and that their declared interests must be published.www.gov.uk/understand-how-your-council-works/local-councillors-and-elections
Council meetings and having your say
GOV.UK: How councils make decisionsCouncils in England must publish when key decisions will be taken, meeting papers in advance and minutes afterwards. You can attend most council meetings, though usually not speak.www.gov.uk/understand-how-your-council-works/decision-making
Open and accountable local government (MHCLG guide)A guide for the public and press on attending and reporting meetings of local government bodies, including the right to film, blog or post about public meetings.www.gov.uk/government/publications/open-and-accountable-local-government
GOV.UK: Get involvedHow to give your views on new or changing government policies by responding to open consultations.www.gov.uk/government/get-involved
UK Government and Parliament petitionsCreate or sign a petition to the UK Government or Parliament. Petitions with over 100,000 signatures are considered for debate in Parliament.petition.parliament.uk
GOV.UK: Complain about your councilHow to complain to your council if it has done something wrong, failed to provide a service or not followed the correct procedure (England and Wales).www.gov.uk/complain-about-your-council
Freedom of information
GOV.UK: How to make a freedom of information requestExplains your right under the Freedom of Information Act and the Freedom of Information (Scotland) Act to see recorded information held by public authorities, what it costs and how long it takes.www.gov.uk/make-a-freedom-of-information-request
Scottish Information CommissionerStep-by-step guidance on getting information from Scottish public bodies, asking for a review, and appealing to the Commissioner.www.foi.scot
Local Government and Social Care OmbudsmanA free, independent service and the final stage for complaints about councils, adult social care providers and some other local public services.www.lgo.org.uk
Public Service OmbudsmanIndependently investigates complaints about UK government services and the NHS in England. The service is free.www.ombudsman.org.uk
Budgets and public spending
GOV.UK: Council spending and accountsExplains where councils publish spending over £500 and contracts, and that every year councils must open their detailed accounts to the public.www.gov.uk/understand-how-your-council-works/spending-and-accounts
Local authority revenue expenditure and financingOfficial statistics on how local authorities spend and fund their day-to-day services.www.gov.uk/government/collections/local-authority-revenue-expenditure-and-financing
National Audit OfficeThe UK’s independent public spending watchdog. It audits government spending and supports Parliament in holding government to account.www.nao.org.uk
Office for Budget ResponsibilityExamines and reports on the sustainability of the public finances and publishes official economic and fiscal forecasts.obr.uk
Serving in public life
GOV.UK: Apply for a public appointmentSearch and apply for roles on the boards of public bodies across the UK.apply-for-public-appointment.service.gov.uk/roles
Commissioner for Public AppointmentsRegulates how ministers make appointments to the boards of national and regional public bodies, so that they are made on merit after a fair and open process.www.gov.uk/government/organisations/commissioner-for-public-appointments
Voting and elections
GOV.UK: Register to voteGet on the electoral register, or update your address, so you can vote in UK elections.www.gov.uk/register-to-vote
GOV.UK: How to voteHow to vote in person at a polling station, by post or by proxy, and from abroad. You cannot vote online in any UK election.www.gov.uk/how-to-vote
GOV.UK: Photo ID you’ll needWhich photo ID you need to vote in person.www.gov.uk/how-to-vote/photo-id-youll-need
GOV.UK: Contact your electoral registration officeEnter a postcode to find your local electoral registration office for questions about voting or the electoral register.www.gov.uk/contact-electoral-registration-office
GOV.UK: Avoid and report internet scams and phishingForward suspicious emails to report@phishing.gov.uk and suspicious texts to 7726, free. Also covers HMRC and visa and immigration scams.www.gov.uk/report-suspicious-emails-websites-phishing
HMRC: Report suspicious HMRC emails, texts and callsHow to report contact that claims to be from HMRC. HMRC only emails about a tax rebate, or asks for personal or payment details, from addresses ending in hmrc.gov.uk.www.gov.uk/find-hmrc-contacts/report-suspicious-hmrc-emails-texts-social-media-accounts-and-phone-calls
Office for Statistics RegulationThe independent regulator of official statistics in the UK. You can raise a concern about how statistics are produced or used.osr.statisticsauthority.gov.uk
Checked
Every link, opened.
Each page linked here was opened and checked on 19 October 2026. Services change: if a link no longer says what we describe, the official page is right. Tell us at hello@moraph.org.