The MJ - your free ebook

Throughout the COVID-19 crisis, we want to do all we can to support you, so we will provide The MJ as an enhanced ebook here every Thursday, completely free, for the duration of the crisis.

Pressure rises on Gove to build social housing

Pressure was this week mounting on new housing secretary Michael Gove to ramp up the building of social homes amid predictions of growing homelessness.

Study raises concern over availability and price of children’s care

Local authorities are being forced to put children in unsuitable accommodation due to a shortage of decent placements, a study has found.

Sector ‘right to be concerned’ about levelling up

Local government should be wary of the contents of the levelling up White Paper, a think-tank has warned.

District expectations tempered for Spending Review

The District Councils’ Network annual conference has heard reforms to local government finance are not expected in the short-term.

Place making and net-zero 'key tenets' in planning reforms

Place making, net-zero and good design will be priorities for the Government's planning reforms, a top mandarin has said.

Watchdog warns care services face a 'tsunami of unmet need'

There could be a 'tsunami' of people not having the care they need unless action is taken to address staff shortages in social care, a watchdog said today.

Wages and good and bad government

Many communities in the UK would benefit from higher wages, says Mike Emmerich, but does the Prime Minister have a strategy for delivering them?

To dismiss or not?

Louise Carr examines the fairness of dismissing employees facing criminal, safeguarding and other investigations, and says there is no easy approach other than looking carefully at the facts.

Mastering yourself is true power

A debate at the recent Solace Summit reminded Kathy O'Leary that to effectively lead others, leaders first need to successfully lead themselves.

The first step on a long levelling up road.

The Government cannot treat the levelling up White Paper’s publication as ‘job done’, and it will take decades to bridge our country’s geographic divides, says Andrew Carter.

Levelling up the UK’s most unequal city

Tackling inequality and promoting food justice are key priorities for Cambridge as the council aspires for the city to be a global exemplar of a fairer, greener and more inclusive way of life, explains Robert Pollock.

Town centres reimagined

There is no better time to start the complex and ever-evolving challenge of reinventing town centres, but the most successful regeneration stories share one thing, says Richard Sterling.

Best Practice

System-wide approach to no more homelessness in Norfolk

The Norfolk Strategic Housing Partnership uses a more human approach to tackling homelessness, centred on speaking to people who have been or are currently sleeping rough, says Stephen Evans.

Analysis

The power of quiet diplomacy

Outgoing chair of the District Councils’ Network, Cllr John Fuller, talks to Martin Ford about his legacy. He says districts showed their mettle during COVID and are best placed to deliver the levelling up agenda.