Dr Arianna Giovannini
There’s a huge economic argument for delivering on HS2
Northern cities could indeed take on the world, but it’s becoming increasingly clear the energy to achieve this can only come from the bottom up, and not from the centre, says Dr Arianna Giovannini.
Devolution is not just for election promises
Investing in local areas should be a priority for all parties as it can reinvigorate local deomcracy, says Dr Arianna Giovannini
Amid current political chaos, levelling up cannot be overlooked
Rhetoric about levelling up is high – but the Government has been missing in action and inequalities are growing, says Dr Arianna Giovannini.
It's time for a U-turn on rail investment
The Government must commit to delivering the Northern Powerhouse Rail in full, the eastern leg of HS2 to Leeds and vital local transport improvements, or face the anger of a betrayed North, says Dr Arianna Giovannini.
Levelling up will not work without sustainable council funding
Rhetoric and big cash injections for large infrastructure projects are not the answer to the urgent issues councils and communities are facing, says Dr Arianna Giovannini.
A roadmap to support devolution
Dr Arianna Giovannini explains why the latest report of the Industrial Strategy Council might not be well received in Whitehall.
Metro mayors’ mission is clear
Arianna Giovannini considers the results of the metro mayors’ elections and what they tell us about the ‘devolution revolution’ promised by former chancellor George Osborne in 2014.
Real power has to be moved away from London
It's time to move real power away from London, not just government offices, argues Dr Arianna Giovannini.
Whatever happened to devolution?
Devolution is an ‘unfinished’, disconnected project that benefits some areas but excludes others, says Dr Arianna Giovannini. Shelving the White Paper will foster new inequalities and competition between devo deals ‘haves’ and ‘have nots’, she adds.
Why devolution resonates with the public
The centre-local disconnect has become starker during COVID-19 – but a survey shows the public do not see this as the way to shape the country’s route out of the pandemic, say Arianna Giovannini, Jonathan Rose, Edward Cartwright and Jonathan Davies.
Pause, reflect and do better
Dr Arianna Giovannini says there is a real risk that this new rhetoric of ‘empowering the local state’ could turn out to be a strategy to shift accountability and responsibility onto local government and away from Westminster.
Will coronavirus kill democratic local government?
The Government might welcome an end to elected local government, say Jonathan Davies and Dr Arianna Giovannini. But they argue this outcome would be ‘dangerously short-sighted’.
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.
