Queens Speech
We are getting warmer on climate change
The Government needs to apply the same problem solving to climate change as it has to tackling the pandemic, says Kathy O'Leary.
A nuanced approach to levelling up is needed
As Nicola Beach becomes the chair of the Association of County Chief Executives, she looks at the challenges ahead.
Sir Andrew Dilnot is upbeat on reform to social care
Author of the landmark 2011 review into social care funding Sir Andrew Dilnot is upbeat about the chances of reform to the system - saying he is ‘hopeful, and I don’t think I’m being Pollyanna-ish’.
Making ‘build, build, build’ a reality
Having listened to the Queen’s Speech, Cllr Darren Rodwell worries the Government is ‘overly fixated on misguided reforms to the planning system’. He puts forward his policy wish list.
PM dashes hopes for localism and devolution
All hopes that prime ministers forged through local politics would be localists, sympathetic to the plight of local government and devolving powers down seem to have been dashed by the Johnson Government, says Heather Jameson.
Queen's Speech: No social care solution in sight
The Queen’s Speech has said proposals on social care reform will be brought forward – but it fell short of a commitment to legislation in this Parliament.
Queen's Speech: No funding pledge on social care reform
The Queen’s Speech fell short of including a social care Bill and there was no pledge on funding.
Queen's Speech: Controversial voter ID plans roll forward
Voter ID is expected to be introduced by May 2023 after the Government pledged to introduce legislation to ‘ensure the integrity of elections’.
Queen’s Speech: New law to ‘modernise’ planning system
The Government has pledged to push ahead with reforms to the planning system in order to meet housebuilding targets.
Local results will supercharge the levelling up ambitions
The Conservative government is now set to enjoy an assured position of dominance and power at local and national level, says chief executive of Localis Jonathan Werran.
Further delays for social care reform
Social care reform faces further delays after rumours that the chancellor and Prime Minister are concerned at the £5bn bill to fund more generous capping limits.
Sharing of powers is not devolution
District councils need a broader range of fiscal devolution, starting with the taxes, fees and charges that councils already collect, says Ian Miller.
Winning back the public’s trust
Peter Stanyon says there are urgent lessons to learn from the 2019 elections – and challenges ahead in 2020 and beyond include the wider need for urgent reform to election law, funding and support.
Welcome to the twenties
The new Government is rhetorically placing itself as a radical one that will move fast, says Dr Jonathan Carr-West – but he warns that for local government there is a ‘groundhog day’ element.
The stage is set for districts to demonstrate their key role
We hope ministers take away the message from conference next month that it is districts, backed by long-term sustainable funding, who are best placed to turn the new decade into the roaring twenties, says Cllr John Fuller.
EXCLUSIVE: Government prepares for new rate reliefs
The Government has started to prepare the ground for the introduction of new business rate reliefs after its previous efforts were labelled a ‘shambles’.
EXCLUSIVE: 100% business rates retention could be back on agenda
Full retention of business rates could shoot back up the agenda as part of a long-awaited Government review, The MJ understands.
'Ambitious programme of domestic reform' promised in Queen's Speech
The second Queen’s Speech in almost as many months has promised an ‘ambitious programme of domestic reform’.
First and foremost we need clarity on finance
Getting ‘Brexit Done’ should open up an oven-ready settlement for local government to implement real change, says chief executive of APSE Paul O’Brien.
We want to work with new Government 'to help deliver on our shared ambitions'
One of Boris Johnson's key priorities must be to publish the provisional Finance Settlement quickly - and the LGA agrees with the Government's position that we need to get away from ‘Whitehall knows best’, says chairman Cllr James Jamieson.
