Future Forum
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.'
Future Forum: ‘Future is bright’ with AI
The sector has been urged to embrace Artificial Intelligence (AI) and reject ‘scaremongering’ at The MJ's Future Forum today.
Future Forum: Call for councils to be 'brave' in contract negotiations
Councils need to be ‘braver’ and ‘bolder’ in their conversations with private service providers, according to Portsmouth City Council’s chief executive.
Future Forum: Resource warning over assurance demands
The Local Government Association (LGA) warned the Government that ‘assurance takes resource’ at The MJ’s Future Forum.
Future Forum: Care integration in ‘retreat’
The co-operation between local government and the NHS hoped for with the advent of Integrated Care Boards (ICBs) is faltering, experts have said.
Future Forum: Call for 'wholesale' return to council housing
The only thing that will solve Britain’s housing crisis will be a ‘wholesale return to council housing,’ according to the chair of UK Innovation Corridor, Jackie Sadek.
Future Forum: Councils hit by absence of employee value propositions
The ability of councils to attract, keep and develop future talent is being hit by the absence of a defined employee value proposition (EVP), The MJ’s Future Forum has heard.
Future Forum: Poor energy planning 'causing barriers to green growth'
A lack of co-ordination in how the energy system is planned is causing barriers ‘not only to decarbonisation and retrofit, but to green economic growth’, The MJ Future Forum has heard.
Future Forum: ‘Hope’ for council tax overhaul
Labour could be presented with an opportunity to reform council tax if election polls are borne out, The MJ’s Future Forum has heard.
Future Forum: Councils ‘pivotal’ to net zero
Local government has a ‘pivotal’ role to play in the journey to achieving net zero, The MJ Future Forum has heard today.
Future Forum: Relationship between councils and NHS 'dysfunctional at worst'
The relationship between local government leaders and the NHS is ‘immature at best and dysfunctional at worst’, The MJ Future Forum has been told.
Tackling homelessness
Homelessness is piling pressure on squeezed council budgets. The MJ and the National Audit Office teamed up to bring council chief executives and senior managers together in Manchester to get under the skin of the issue. Paul Marinko reports.
Levelling up’s showbiz touch
Last week’s Chanel fashion spectacle in Manchester was a global triumph for the city, but addressing regional inequalities still remains a huge challenge for the next Government, says Michael Burton.
Future Forum North: Crises require 'vision for the future'
The challenges facing the local government sector shouldn’t be a barrier to recruiting senior officers, The MJ Future Forum North has heard.
Future Forum North: Redmond urges faster audit reform
Sir Tony Redmond said reforms should be introduced more quickly to resolve the crisis in local audit.
Future Forum North: Dispelling AI ‘doom and gloom’
A call was made to shift the focus of the artificial intelligence (AI) debate to its potential benefits, rather than ‘doomsday scenarios’ at the MJ Future Forum North.
Future Forum North: 'Move Oflog out of London for independence'
If the new Office for Local Government (Oflog) wants to demonstrate its independence it should moved out of London.
Future Forum North: Questions over sector regulation
Questions have been raised about the role of regulation in the local government sector at the MJ Future Forum North.
Future Forum North: Councils need to be ‘part of the solution’
The local government sector must take a role in finding long-term solutions to the challenges facing the country.
Future Forum North: Monitoring officers need ‘seat at top table’
More work is needed to bolster the role of the monitoring officer in councils, the MJ Future Forum North has heard.