POLICY AND POLITICS

Stronger Things: Real interest in community power at the top of Labour

There is ‘real interest and engagement’ among Labour politicians nationally in community power along with the energy to drive forward the agenda, the leader of Camden LBC has said.

There is ‘real interest and engagement' among Labour politicians nationally in community power along with the energy to drive forward the agenda, the leader of Camden LBC has said.

Asked by The MJ about the challenge of putting community power into practice nationally, Georgia Gould, said: ‘What's been really exciting in local government is there is so much energy behind community power and working differently with our communities.

‘The enthusiasm is there and, with a government that's going to get behind local places and local government to deliver it, I think we're going to see this unleashed even further.

'I think there's a lot of interest and engagement in this work, and the work that New Local are doing, so I'm really excited about it.

'People who come from local government, this is how they've been working, so there is real energy to bring this forward.'

Cllr Gould, who is Labour's General Election candidate for the Parliamentary constituency of Maida Vale and Queen's Park and was an early backer for Sir Keir's bid to become Labour leader, was speaking at today's New Local Stronger Things event at London's Guildhall.

She was asked by interim chief executive of New Local, Jessica Studdert, how some of the biggest challenges the country is facing could be approached at a time when local government is dealing with a funding crisis.

Cllr Gould said: ‘I can't overestimate how tough things are for local government at the moment.

'Funding has been decimated.

‘Many councils have lost more than half their budgets and we are at crisis point.

'Councils have had to pull away from a lot of the preventative community work they want to be doing because they are struggling to fund statutory services.

'Our housing budgets particularly are under massive pressure.

‘There is a stabilisation that needs to happen.

‘The starting point is stability because I think if you've got financial stability you can invest in some of the capacity.'

POLICY AND POLITICS

'Devil in the details' of welfare reform plans, says SIGOMA

By Ann McGauran | 19 March 2025

The ‘devil will be in the details’ of the Government’s proposed reforms to welfare, says the leader of a council network calling for regular deprivation-base...

POLICY AND POLITICS

Southern power play

By Jonathan Werran | 19 March 2025

Jonathan Werran says the geographic and economic reality of a more prosperous and easily investable south, which guarantees a stronger return on capital, has...

POLICY AND POLITICS

Striving for a step change on local statistics

By David Blackman | 19 March 2025

The Mayoral Data Council will provide a ‘unified voice’ in liaising with government departments. But delivering better partnership working across places call...

POLICY AND POLITICS

Time for smooth moves and shared purpose

By Dr Catherine Howe | 19 March 2025

Mission-driven government is an opportunity for all of us to shift gears and focus creatively on big challenges together, but it can’t be designed and delive...

Ann McGauran

Popular articles by Ann McGauran