Last year, the Southwark News broke the exclusive story that the council’s newly elected leader was, in fact, no longer taking up the role. The first the prospective leader heard of the development was after being contacted by the paper’s reporter, whose information came from a long-established network of sources across the borough. The revelation came during an extraordinary week in which Southwark had three council leaders in the space of seven days.

The paper’s coverage of the disputed leadership election and subsequent re-run provided readers with detailed reporting and analysis of the political fallout, including allegations of factionalism, internal divisions and questions about party governance. While the story was later picked up by regional and national media, the News remained at the centre of the story, continuing to provide insight, context and scrutiny as events unfolded.

The story continued to deliver major exclusives, including the resignation of the local party chair, whose dramatic departure message to members added a further chapter to an already remarkable political saga.

By breaking the story first, holding local decision-makers to account and continuing to follow developments after national attention moved on, the News demonstrated the unique role local newspapers play in informing communities and strengthening local democracy.