Coronavirus
Making economic development a statutory duty for councils would be a rare win-win
The sector wants to make economic development services a statutory duty for councils. Abdool Kara says the challenge for local authorities is to open the Treasury’s eyes to the prize it considers could be available.
The impact of ending the Household Support Fund would be disastrous
The Household Support Fund is a crucial way for councils to help residents with the costs of living and should be top priority in the upcoming Budget, says Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton.
Devolution has transformed the way local services work together in London
There has been an explosion of collaboration across the capital, says Alison Griffin. 'Twenty-four years on, we have many examples of joint working that impact our residents.'
It’s time for a ‘big bang’ to fix our workforce
'There is a need to rethink workloads across the public sector, to harness new technologies to do the grunt work while staff focus on the things only people can provide', says Heather Jameson.
Place shapers wanted
George Agyemang and Pete John of Penna share their experiences over the past few years on the leadership talent market for place, regeneration and growth, and have strong hopes for this year.
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.
Tapping into digital and tech for public good
AI is arguably this year’s key technology trend, with generative AI in particular and large language models promising great benefits for the public sector. Ann McGauran reports.
Radical overhaul required to drag us into the 21st century
From central government and the NHS, to police, prisons and local government: the ‘state of the state’ is dire, says Heather Jameson. 'There are few quick fixes, but propping up the status quo is not an option.'
Is leisure now a liability or an opportunity to support healthier communities?
The three key challenges being faced by council leisure services can be addressed positively to protect services and deliver greater benefits to communities. Leading consultancy SLC share their recent successes with local authority leisure procurement.
Cities find their future
Cllr John Merry looks back at Key Cities’ successes and considers what he would like the network and local government to achieve during the next decade.
The challenge of governing isn't just what, but how
Whoever wins the election, by whatever platform, their entry into office will quickly be met with the challenge of how to deliver on their promises in practice, says Jessica Studdert.
A Faer Point
The leaders responsible for delivering demand-led services are forced to be reactive and problem-solving, says Ben Cox. 'This makes it very hard to occupy the optimistic, forward-focused mindset that’s needed to really innovate at a strategic level.'
Under pressure
Pressures are increasing in every local authority he speaks to, but with the need to bear down on the cost of living still pressing, this is not the right time for a big rise in council tax, says Greg Clark.
Santa or the Grinch? No quick fix for fail finances
Heather Jameson says: 'It all comes back to the same issues over and again for local government. The funding system is fundamentally broken.'
Autumn Statement: what lies behind the promises?
Despite a few helpful announcements from the chancellor in relation to cost of living and hospitality the reality is the overall outlook for Westminster residents remains difficult, says Cllr Adam Hug.
Partnerships will unlock potential of Oxfordshire’s children
Children and young people are at the heart of Oxfordshire’s partnership approach – a shared vision to give them the very best start in life, says Cllr John Howson.
Rotheram threatened over Covid restrictions
Liverpool City Region mayor Steve Rotheram was assigned 24-hour police security after he received threats during the Covid pandemic, he revealed today.
Why prioritising EDI is business-critical
If we want the benefits of equality, diversity and inclusion (EDI) it has to be worked on as a priority and be baked into the DNA of our culture, says Gordon McFarlane.
Creative solution are emerging to enable the leisure sector to thrive
The financial difficulties of the last few years have led many leisure centres to the edge of closure. William Benson sets out the challenges but says there is still plenty of room for optimism.
Keeping the faith
As local government battles with budgets and rising demand, Heather Jameson spoke to Leeds City Council chief executive Tom Riordan about what he wants to see from the next government.
