Over the years at LGiU we have talked a lot about agency, autonomy and sovereignty in local government. These ideas can sound abstract, but they sit at the heart of almost every challenge councils face. Too often we talk about local government in terms of statutory requirements – as a delivery arm for centrally prescribed services, with Whitehall defining the ‘what' and the funding envelope determining the ‘how'.
But if councils are to be effective, they must be understood as democratic agents in their own right: shaping place, convening partners, taking long-term responsibility for community wellbeing.
