The thorny issue of what democracy is, what it’s not and whether it is an appropriate system for government has been at the top of the agenda at the start of 2015. At the same time, we are in the lead-up…
With a forced smile and through gritted teeth, Tower Hamlets’ elected mayor, Lutfur Rahman, has announced himself willing to accept – and even “welcome” – the intervention package set out for his borough…
Devolving power to English regions and cities could offer a real chance to introduce more local oversight of the way academies and free schools are being managed. Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland have…
Anyone listening to the Scottish Independence debate may wish to have a care for the English regions. Take the West Midlands, equal to the population of Scotland, cradle of the industrial revolution and…
All eyes might be on Scotland and the independence vote but, with considerably less fanfare, dozens of referendums have taken place in England this year. Yes/No votes have happened all over the country…
All schools in England have a considerable and increasing degree of autonomy over their budgets. Academies have more autonomy than those state schools still under local authority control over how they…
Public sector procurement isn’t sexy, but it is important. Government purchases approximately £120 billion worth of goods and services from third parties every year. That’s more than £4,000 per UK income…
What should we make of the announcement that the academy chain E-ACT is being stripped of ten of its 34 schools because of under-performance? It is unwise to jump to conclusions when details are still…
Forecasters predict a wetter than normal start to March that will no doubt hamper efforts to bring an end to the misery of those whose homes are underwater. These extended floods and bad weather reveal…
In the UK today, there are sizeable inequalities in health – and sometimes that gap isn’t just about north versus south. In Stockton Tees in the north-east of England, for example, there’s a 15-year gap…
Most people would agree with Jeremy Hunt that isolation and loneliness are bad things and that we should try to make sure that older people (and everyone else) do not suffer from them. So far so good…
Detroit, formerly a global economic powerhouse, has filed for bankruptcy in the face of crippling loan repayments. While an equivalent collapse in the UK is unlikely any time soon, if certain voices in…
Now the dust has settled on the government’s spending review and the publication of long-term infrastructure investment plans, where exactly are we with local growth policy? The coalition’s approach to…
The coalition came to power in 2010 full of talk about ending the era of top down government and shifting power away from Westminster. The intervening years have given us one broken promise after another…
All politics is local. Coined by Byron Pierce and popularised by legendary US Speaker of the House of Representatives Tip O'Neill, it’s a truism that applies universally. With a referendum on the constitutional…
Is this the referendum we don’t need to hold? And how many Australians truly understand the potential impact of their actions when they vote in referendum of the constitutional recognition of local government…
It might be the mickey mouse part of September 14 but the referendum to recognise local government in the constitution will be a fascinating case study of what happens to a view held by the public when…
Despite a big overhaul in the way care for the elderly will be funded, there are still fears that it isn’t enough and we’re surely “heading towards disaster”. The government is keen to emphasise the importance…