Last week’s Budget confirmed more grim economic news. Downgraded forecasts predict sluggish growth into the 2020s and productivity remains stagnant, and with it living standards which have now plateaued for a decade. So there is a twin challenge to achieve not just sustainable growth – which expands the overall level of economic activity in our […]

Reading the Industrial Strategy: Building a Britain fit for the future, published this morning, was no mean feat. From tackling the ageing population to transforming cities, its breadth is admirable. Yet, despite its length, it seems to leave no space for substantive mention of the role of local authorities. Although the White Paper sets out […]

This article was first published in Civil Service World. The Budget was a mixed bag for local government. Councils face financial uncertainty after 2020, with grant funding still reducing, the definition of “fair funding” still pending and the prospect of business rates retention still dangling. The Chancellor recognised the priority to give businesses the ability […]

This was first published in the MJ This was the moment a British government finally got serious about the most pressing social problem facing the UK: our dysfunctional housing market. It is an issue on which a long line of Prime Ministers and chancellors have talked loudly while wielding a rather small policy stick. Today […]

In 2012, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said that Wigan Council was the third worst affected council by austerity in the UK. We realised that we couldn’t continue to operate as we were. We also knew that by simply closing a few libraries, changing bin collections and reducing school crossing patrols we weren’t going to […]

The prospect of “taking back control” motivated many who voted to Leave in the EU Referendum. Whether it was the institutions of Brussels, the policies of the EU or the wider impact of globalisation, a balance of people in our country concluded that the status quo was not working for them – democratically or economically. […]

Data is a powerful tool. Technology and digitalisation are playing a growing role in the delivery of improved service efficiency by linking data from a variety of sources. For councils, harnessing meaningful data and turning it into actionable outcomes can help deliver more efficient, vibrant and sustainable communities. Leeds City Council is a forward thinking […]

Financial constraints and demographic pressures mean councils are increasingly shifting their role from service deliverers to service enablers. Councils and communities are beginning to work more closely together and will need to become more collaborative, creative and self-determined. As this happens, it will be important to understand better what motivates communities and what influences how […]