Speaking in response to the announcement today by Communities Secretary John Denham that the Government will be widening the ‘Prevent’ anti-extremism programme beyond Islamist extremism, instead combatting all forms of radicalisation, NLGN Deputy Director Anna Turley said: “We warmly welcomed the new guidance and funding released today by the Government who have adopted the stance [...]

‘Stronger Together’, a report by NLGN, sought a broadening of the approach to Preventing Violent Extremism to include other forms of extremism, such as that from the far-right, and warned the government that the current programme was alienating some parts of the Muslim community.

The Government’s flagship scheme on tackling extremism is alienating Muslim communities and should be scrapped. NLGN is calling for the £45million scheme to focus on tackling all extremism – including far-right extremists – rather than just focusing on Islamic extremism.

Commenting on the conviction and sentencing for five years imprisonment of John Kiely for loan shark activities at Manchester Crown Court today, the Director of thinktank New Local Government Network Chris Leslie said: “This case is just the tip of the iceberg – and sadly we estimate that around 200,000 people in the most dire [...]

Reacting to today’s CLG consultation paper Strengthening Local Democracy, Director of the New Local Government Network Chris Leslie said that moves to give local councillors sweeping new powers to cross-examine energy firms, water companies, telephone and broadband providers were very welcome. He said that proposals to give councils greater scrutiny over all local public services, [...]

Failing train franchises could be “recalled” under new proposals unveiled this week by a leading think tank. This report from NLGN is calling for clusters of local authorities to be given new powers to hold franchises to account, including the right to trigger a review of their contract.

Reacting to today’s publication by the Government of the Green Paper ‘Shaping the Future of Care Together’, New Local Government Network’s Director Chris Leslie said: “Expecting council tax to bear the burden of social care costs for elderly residents in communities across England is no longer tenable and we are glad that Ministers are willing [...]

Proposals to make quangos less “London-centric” less have been welcomed by a national thinktank. Under proposals by Harriet Harman, people who run publically-funded quangos will have to become more representative of the UK as a whole.