Local democracy
Mayors renew skills call
England’s directly-elected regional mayors today renewed their call on the Government for greater devolution of powers and funding over skills.
Magistrates can make a difference
Bob Neill asks why more local authorities are not making more use of the valuable skills and perspectives a magistrate within their workforce can provide.
Call for greater council oversight of academies
Ministers need to take control of ‘faltering’ academy finances or let councils oversee them, town halls have urged today.
Telford CSE inquiry delayed to involve victims
An inquiry into child sexual exploitation in Telford has been delayed to give victims a greater say in its formation.
Decisions, decisions
Mark Conrad reports from a recent round table tackling the issue of effective decision-making in local government.
Building trust in democracy
With the local elections taking place today, Dr Jonathan Carr-West says: get the processes right and the results will follow, especially when seeking to ensure faith in the system of democracy
Future Forum: LGA to push for place-based EU funding replacement
The Local Government Association (LGA) will push for a place-based replacement for EU funding after Brexit, Smith Square’s chief executive has said.
Calls for a new Audit Commission are an affront to localism
Ian Miller rejects recent calls for the reinvention of the Audit Commission.
Empowering your residents
Authorities can empower residents by changing behaviour and enlisting support for that change when service providers and volunteers in communities come together, writes Maxine Moar.
Housing and Brexit: a toxic mix for the Tories on 3 May
Michael Burton asks whether local issues could help the Conservatives salvage some comfort from what could be a car crash election for them next month.
Government orders councils to cease fortnightly publications
The Government has directed Hackney and Waltham Forest LBCs to cease publication of their fortnightly newspapers and publish no more than quarterly.
Welsh Government in new push for larger councils
Local government in Wales is facing a radical overhaul, with ministers consulting on plans to create ‘larger, stronger councils’.
Youth vote is not the answer
Claire Fox argues that extending the vote to 16-year-olds is a distraction from the failure to enthuse 18-plus adults to vote.
Kerslake in attempt to break devolution deadlock
The former head of the Civil Service, Lord Kerslake, has been drafted in to resolve the deadlock over Yorkshire devolution.
East Anglia devolution back on agenda
An influential council leader has urged his colleagues to resurrect plans for devolution to East Anglia.
Un-breaking local news
The decline of readily-available quality local news continues, but with the Government’s recent review announcement Bob Neill feels there is hope for the future – and now is the time to join in.
The democratic dimensions of the Suffragettes' victory
Ed Cox looks at what last week's centenary of the 1918 Representation of the People Act means for our democracy today.
Devolution framework 'almost done'
The Government's new devolution framework is 'almost done,' communities secretary Sajid Javid has insisted.
Filling the democracy void
Public services are delivered by an increasingly complex matrix of organisations in a mix of formal and informal partnerships. Jacqui McKinlay sets out the arguments for local public accounts committees to fill the local democratic deficit that has emerged.
Mayor defends £11 tax precept
West Midlands mayor Andy Street yesterday defended his proposal for an £11 council tax precept after it was rejected by the combined authority’s cabinet.