News
Parties draw battlelines for local elections
Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer has given a speech in Dudley today following campaign launches by the Conservatives and Lib Dems.
Herefordshire DCS leaves in wake of critical Ofsted
Herefordshire CC’s director for children’s services has left the authority following criticism of the pace of improvement.
Glasgow appoints chief executive
Susanne Millar has been appointed as Glasgow City Council’s chief executive.
Elections on cyber alert
Ministers have warned this year’s local and national elections are 'not business as usual’ – as councils prepare to tackle technological and geopolitical threats to voting security.
Finley Boden: Council apologises for ‘missed opportunities’
Derbyshire CC has apologised for the ‘missed opportunities’ to do more to safeguard 10-month-old Finley Boden who was murdered on Christmas Day in 2020.
Auditors concerned by slow transformation
Scotland’s Accounts Commission is ‘extremely concerned’ by slow transformation at Moray Council, which faces a £31m deficit despite years of warnings to improve.
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Opinion
Learning from tragedy
Debbie Jones looks at the lessons emerging from an independent review focused on the children found guilty of the deaths of three young people in Croydon.
Beware Godzilla economics
Councils are designed primarily to achieve ‘economies of scope’ not economies of scale – and bigger brings disadvantages as well as benefits, writes Barry Quirk.
Pre-elections: steering a path through comms
Andy Allsopp looks at the need for careful judgement from council communicators during the pre-election period, and sets out three key takeaways from the Local Authority Publicity Code.
Observations on Japan’s strong local leader model
Reflecting on his Japanese Study Tour, Sam Cunningham says it is imperative to seek inspiration and insights beyond borders amid the challenges facing councils.
Hail our local heroes
Councils have proven their mettle – now give them the trust and respect they deserve, writes Baroness Sharon Taylor.
Retrograde is no way to fund financial recovery
If councils call out the Government for glossing over the facts, they must ensure terms such as balancing the budget and capitalisation are not matters of ‘spin’, says Rob Whiteman.
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Best Practice
Hackney through an anti-racist lens
Dawn Carter-McDonald says Hackney LBC’s commitment to being an actively anti-racist council is at the centre of its goals and values.
Analysis
Ready for a bright new dawn?
Rachel Reeves’ Mais lecture represented a clear shift away from New Labour towards an active state, a muscular industrial strategy and ambitious regional policy, say Mike Emmerich and Ben Lucas.
Private sector
Levelling the playing field
Natasha Hilton-Keane takes a look at the increasing tactic of sending out advance questions as one way to get the best out of candidates within an interview.
Books and beyond
Head of libraries at GLL Rebecca Gediking describes how innovation and adaptation are at the heart of a successful, modern library service.
A Faer Point
Partner at Faerfield Dawn Faulkner sets out her top tips for landing the ideal role - and she says being able to show a nuanced grasp of the operating environment is a definite advantage.