Devolution
Clarke vows to 'finish the job' on mayors and create more unitaries
Local government minister Simon Clarke has emphasised the Government’s commitment to introducing more elected mayors and unitary councils.
Warwickshire districts vote on
Stratford DC is to vote next week on plans to create a ‘super district’ with neighbouring Warwick DC.
Starmer to replace House of Lords with elected body
A Labour government will replace the House of Lords with an elected body of representatives from local and regional government, Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer told a virtual Local Government Association conference session.
LGA shies away from reorganisation 'fight back'
The Local Government Association (LGA) has shied away from calls for it to launch a ‘fight back’ against reorganisation though senior members criticised any top-down approach.
Sheffield devo deal set to be passed by Parliament
A new devolution deal for South Yorkshire will be laid before Parliament today, handing new powers and millions of pounds of funding to the region.
Six lessons for devolution from COVID-19
A localised and nimble response to the coronavirus outbreak is important, say Colin Copus and Steve Leach, who highlight six broad lessons to inform devolution.
Local government needs a reset
Local government lies at the heart of multiple emergencies, warns Heather Jameson. She says we need a new system of modern and fully funded public services, joined up at a local level.
Fresh reorganisation offensive leaves districts quaking
The County Councils’ Network (CCN) has launched a fresh offensive to rip up the local government map as the country emerges from the shadow of coronavirus.
Jarvis lays stake to COVID recovery funds
Mayors should be handed control over COVID recovery funds and be given a seat at the Cobra emergency committee, Sheffield city region mayor Dan Jarvis said today.
Hand health powers to elected mayors, says report
Health powers should be handed to elected mayors as part of a ‘rejuvenated and fortified wave of devolution,’ a think-tank report has suggested.
Javid urges reorganisation and devolution post-COVID
Council tax reform and local government reorganisation should both play a part in the post COVID economic recovery, former communities secretary Sajid Javid has said.
Former Chancellor calls for infrastructure devo deal
Former Labour Chancellor Alistair Darling has called for all infrastructure projects below £500m to be managed by local or combined authorities.
Lancashire's 15 leaders vote in principle for combined authority
Leaders of all 15 local authorities in Lancashire have voted for the principle of a combined authority and an elected county mayor.
The 2020 Public Services Commission: 10 years after
Ben Lucas and Dr Henry Kippin assess the work of the 2020 Public Services Commission. They also address how society can recover from the coronavirus crisis, and argue the need for a different economic model if we want to build back better.
Where do we go from here to ‘level up’ this country?
The survival of the local state might be at stake, but this ‘failing’ is not of its own making, says Dr Arianna Giovannini. Our ‘broken centralised system of governance is the root cause of the meltdown that most councils are facing’, she adds.
Melting the boundaries after COVID
In our first virtual round table alongside recruiters Faerfield, chiefs from across the sector talk to Heather Jameson about the opportunities ahead to ‘build back better’ and reshape public services.
Coronavirus shines a light on places that need to be ‘levelled up’
The pandemic has hit our most deprived communities hardest, says Wolverhampton City Council leader Ian Brookfield. There needs to be a new deal to help struggling families and level up the country
Government should create unitary system, think-tank urges
The Government should create a unitary system of local government based on functional economic areas, a think-tank has argued.
A better place
The current crisis should become a reset moment - 'flipping centralisation on its head, so that recovery can lead to renewal', argues Dr Arianna Giovannini.
Number 10 puts mayors at the forefront of recovery
Mayors should be at the forefront of recovery from the pandemic, Number 10 has said.
