Cohesion
The quest for community harmony
A Government-commissioned review has spelt out the difficulties councils face when trying to protect social cohesion. Martin Ford reports.
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.
Councils 'struggling' to tackle cohesion threats
Councils are struggling to tackle threats to social cohesion due to a lack of support from central government, according to a major review.
Supporting communities together
Genuine collaboration between housing associations and councils can help them meet their combined ambitions for communities and neighbourhoods, says Felicity Hunt.
Counter-extremism faces ‘unprecedented challenges’
The battle against radicalisation at the local level faces ‘unprecedented challenges’ due to a lack of funding, local authority leaders have warned.
Beware the rise of conspiracy theories in our local politics
Conspiracy theories thrive in the absence of transparency and effective communication, says Jessica Studdert. 'Part of the answer must lie in more, not fewer opportunities for public participation in decisions and building buy-in over trade-offs.'
New assurance regime needs to be ‘far more useful’
According to the results of the Solace survey, no one thinks Oflog does the job and most think it should be scrapped, says Heather Jameson. 'When it comes to what would work, there is a clear answer. Make audit better', she adds.
Councils try to tackle rising community tensions
Councils have taken a key role as they seek to tackle rising community tensions stoked by events in Israel and Gaza.
Winning plan to leverage AI’s power
Lewis Sheldrake’s AI Labs project offering a framework to bring the power of artificial intelligence into all aspects of council service delivery won him the Local Government Challenge 2023. Heather Jameson reports.
Using the past to shape our future
The UK’s youngest city has provided many important historical examples of civic leadership and pioneering spirit, and as Kersten England explains, continuing this legacy and maintaining a modern shared vision is a responsibility Bradford welcomes.
The power of promotion
Martin Ford looks at the opportunities for local economies and the potential positive impact on social cohesion and civic pride when football teams are promoted up the league.
Neighbourhood services key to community cohesion
The next Government has been urged to fund councils to carry out basic neighbourhood services to boost community cohesion.
Muslim women should have the freedom to choose
In France, Muslim women are still prohibited from wearing the hijab in many places. Cllr Saima Ashraf explains why she was motivated to take part in a documentary about the ban.
Councils warning over Prevent reforms
Councils have raised serious concerns about the Government’s proposed Prevent counter-extremism strategy reforms, warning Muslim communities could disengage and local authorities risk fresh costs.
Braverman lobbied over asylum placement warning
Sector figures have held talks with the home secretary over Whitehall’s asylum policy weeks after ministers ordered contractors to improve how they communicate with councils.
EXCLUSIVE: Warsi rails against Government's Prevent overhaul
Ex-communities minister Baroness Warsi has attacked the Government’s proposed reform of Prevent, warning Whitehall risks creating a ‘hierarchy of extremism’ and an ‘unnecessary culture war’.
Braverman to overhaul Prevent
Home secretary Suella Braverman has accepted all 34 recommendations to overhaul Prevent after a review of the Government’s anti-terror programme.
Brum’s ‘super-diversity’ is another strength
The latest Census 2021 data on ethnicity revealed Birmingham is one of the UK’s first ‘super-diverse’ cities. Cllr John Cotton reflects on why this is not a surprise and is one of the city’s strengths.
A route to more resilient communities
Amreen Qureshi highlights new research looking at the causes of social isolation and loneliness amongst migrant communities in Yorkshire and Humber, and what can be done to promote connections.
A delicate balance: asylum and community cohesion
Accommodating asylum-seekers has become a new local government capacity challenge as a recession looms, writes Heather Jameson. 'But in addition to the short-term challenges of accommodation, there are longer-term issues of community cohesion.'
