local government

What can we expect from Andy Burnham’s Green Summit?

By Julia Kasmire Filed Under: All posts, Devo, Energy and Environment Posted: March 20, 2018

Ahead of Andy Burnham’s Green Summit this week, Julia Kasmire of the University of Manchester’s Sustainable Consumption Institute investigates whether the Greater Manchester Combined Authority will take the necessary steps to take responsibility for achieving carbon neutrality. Andy Burnham has called for a Green Summit which is expected to establish a ‘green charter’ to lay […]

Women in local government: time is on the side of change

By Angeliki Stogia Filed Under: All posts, British Politics, Growth and Inclusion Posted: July 18, 2017

Last week, the Fawcett Society, in partnership with the Local Government Information Unit, released a report into whether local government works for women. Here, Cllr Angeliki Stogia, Executive Member for Environment and Skills at Manchester City Council, looks at the report’s recommendations and reflects on Manchester’s path to women’s political representation. We need a range […]

Making devolution work for all: Grabbing and grappling with the opportunity

By Neil McInroy Filed Under: Devo, Featured Posted: July 3, 2015

The University of Manchester and Centre for Local Economic Strategies (CLES) play host to the Making Devolution Work conference next week. To mark the event CLES’s Chief Executive Neil McInroy writes the first of a series of blogs around the conference, examining what devolution could mean for the region and country. The UK is massively […]

Is the local government party really now over?

By Nick Clifford Filed Under: Featured Posted: June 3, 2015

After crying ‘wolf’ for several years, councils are now faced with very real difficulty in balancing their books, warns Nick Clifford. More than 50 years ago, in 1962, there was a hit for Lonnie Donegan called ‘The Party’s Over’. 40 years ago Tony Crosland, then Secretary of State for Local Government, gave a speech to […]

Ethnic inequalities in health – policy paralysis and the need to be ambitious

By James Nazroo Filed Under: All posts, Ethnicity, Featured Posted: February 5, 2015

How and why does policy continue to fail to address inequalities in health? asks Professor James Nazroo. A recent report on inequalities in health, commissioned by the British Academy, brought together responses to the question, “What one policy could make a difference if implemented at a local level?” The context was, of course, local government, […]

Will tomorrow be a turning point in British politics?

By Ed Cox Filed Under: Featured, Westminster Watch Posted: May 21, 2014

This year’s European elections and Scottish referendum may signify a more profound change in British politics than the General Election in 2015, writes Ed Cox. Taken together, they present an opportunity for the people of the United Kingdom to send a clear message to the mainstream political parties. Tomorrow’s local and European elections are not […]

Is scrutiny in Wales about to come of age?

By Alan Morris Filed Under: All posts Posted: November 15, 2013

Until recently, many people have considered scrutiny in Welsh local government as the ‘poor cousin’ of the local democracy, writes Alan Morris. It’s had a turbulent few years and some members of the local government community have questioned its value. However, he argues that the recognition of scrutiny’s important role seems to be about to […]

Public health: is the glass half full or half empty?

By Julia Segar Filed Under: Featured Posted: November 14, 2013

Dr Julia Segar was one of those out in force during Manchester Policy Week to hear Durham University’s Professor David Hunter and Manchester’s own Professor Steve Harrison ponder whether optimism or pessimism should prevail in the light of recent changes to the way public health is organised. The recent healthcare reforms have seen public health […]

Blears: Joined-Up Jargon Queen Quits Government

By Colin Talbot Filed Under: Whitehall Watch Posted: June 3, 2009

Hazel Blears, Communities and Local Government Secretary in the Labour Government has announced her decision to leave the government on the eve of local government elections in England, in what is being widely seen as direct attack on PM Gordon Brown. “In this next phase of my political life I am redoubling my efforts to […]

Jargon-busting or dumbing down?

By Colin Talbot Filed Under: Whitehall Watch Posted: March 18, 2009

The Local Government Association (LGA) has published a list of 200 “jargon” words and their ‘plain English’ equivalents. But is this really jargon-busting, or patronising dumbing-down?