Heather Jameson
Heather Jameson is editor of the MJ
Could the beating stick be used to point out councils’ efficiencies?
While local government focuses on the stick used to beat it, where is the carrot?, asks Heather Jameson. 'What if councils embraced a little transparency and used this new data to create their own stories?'
MJ Regen: Finding solutions together
This year’s UKREiiF event is set to premiere a new how-to guide to help public and private sector partners work together. Heather Jameson reports on the brainchild of the recently-formed EG Public Sector Forum.
After the election, beware of needless reshuffles
Heather Jameson says senior council officers now face a new challenge: 'turning towards new, energised political leaderships with a new set of priorities. Is this invigorating, or exhausting?'
Gove could launch police inquiry for Birmingham
Reports the levelling up secretary could send a police chief in to investigate financial mismanagement in Birmingham City Council have resurfaced on the eve of local elections.
Blunt instrument doesn’t show the whole picture
Heather Jameson says the league tables ministers wanted to avoid are here to stay. 'They will just need to get better at providing a fuller picture.'
The Trump effect
Sector insiders talk to Heather Jameson about the possible impact this side of the pond of a second victory for Donald Trump, including less cash for public services and a push to boost local economies.
Sunak's defence spending could hit council budgets, says IFS
The Prime Minister’s announcement of extra defence cash could hit public sector budgets further, according to the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS).
Local elections: more than just a barometer for Rishi
Local elections do swing with national politics, but the full picture is far more nuanced, says Heather Jameson. 'More so now, as a gaping chasm opens up between the performance of the best and worst local authorities and mayors.'
Ministers in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones
The letter on councils’ productivity, sent by local government minister Simon Hoare this week, borders on farcical, says Heather Jameson.
Agency will need to work with councils
Homes England chief executive Peter Denton has vowed to refocus efforts on delivering new housing in a market that desperately needs it, says Heather Jameson.
How to build a healthy economy
Social care, often seen as a millstone for councils facing financial challenges, has been turned into an opportunity by Stockton-on-Tees BC to create inclusive growth and tackle health inequalities all at once, writes Heather Jameson.
Has the time come to go ‘full Nye’ and innovate?
Reform has called for health to be given to local government. Heather Jameson says: 'It is unlikely under the existing government, while Labour currently looks more likely to centralise social care than localise national health.'
Crises to continue as we lurch towards a General Election
The MJ's 24-hour Future Forum summit cantered through a collection of catastrophes, says Heather Jameson. 'Perhaps we ought to conclude that watching local government is more like the Anatomy of a Fall. But at least it’s not quite Oppenheimer. Yet.'
Solace at 50
As Solace hits its 50th anniversary – alongside the anniversary of the 1974 local government reorganisation – Heather Jameson looks at the highlights of an essay collection launched to mark the occasion.
Wanted: fiscal reform not fiscal frustration
'To bemoan any Government’s inability to take difficult political decisions when it has been in power for 14 years is to wriggle out of collective responsibility', says Heather Jameson.
Brum may turn to MD to cover chief exec exit
Birmingham City Council could hire a managing director to replace its departing chief executive, The MJ understands.
Structures should be 'rationalised,' Hoare tells DCN
Council funding should have been reformed by now and structures need to be ‘rationalised’ the local government minister told the District Councils’ Network (DCN) conference.
Cadman steps down as Birmingham chief
Deborah Cadman is to stand down as chief executive of Birmingham City Council after almost three years at the council.
A quick fix – but is there any choice?
With news of capitalisation directions being given to several councils, Heather Jameson asks if this risky measure – designed to provide fiscal support – will ultimately provide greater problems down the line.
Has the levelling up agenda died or is it only resting?
Levelling-up's recent political incarnation was designed to appeal to voters with a four-year attention span, says Heather Jameson. 'It was only a matter of time before the public noticed there was little life in the bird.'