UPDATE: This has been our most popular post ever with a huge number of hits so I am keen for your views before I do a monthly update of the list at the beginning of March. There will be some significant changes. Do let me know what you think, either here, or if you prefer you…
At a meeting with Dominic Campbell of FutureGov (see out top ten local government twitter post) yesterday, he mentioned almost in passing that he saw part of what he does as ‘making government cool’. That got me thinking. While there are lots of cool people in local government and lots of cool initiatives, I think…
An interesting political challenge is emerging to the Conservative Party on their Green Paper proposals for referendums in the twelve largest cities after London to have a directly elected city-wide Mayor. The cities are: Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Wakefield, Coventry, Leicester, Nottingham, Newcastle upon Tyne. The proposals have received a very muted…
Our too centralised system of government means that just when councils really need the flexibility to take action to help people in their commuities, they are hamstrung by government guidelines, laws and financial arrangements. The current controversy over rent rises illustrates the problem. The Government’s rent guidelines will lead to rent rises of around £6 a week for most council tenants, way above…
UPDATE: “Red Tories” feature in the New Statesman There’s little doubt who’s making the biggest splash in think tank world so far this year. Philip Blond, director of the Demos Progressive Conservative Project and self proclaimed Red Tory, has got everyone talking about his essay in this month’s Prospect. More importantly the inside gossip is that…
Boris has launched a ‘waste dating agency’ for London. The idea is that anyone generating waste can be put in touch with someone who recycles or treats waste. In terms of efficiently managing London’s waste this must be a good thing, right? The devil is in the detail, the ‘dating agency’ has a built in emphasis on…
Our friends at Conservative home are hosting a lively debate on whether councillors should be twittering – views range from ‘yes of course’ to ‘ABSOLUTELY NOT’ (their capitals not mine) I think the use of the word ‘should’ is a little heavy handed. I’m not sure we need a party line on twitter. But I…
The Conservative Local Government Green Paper “Control Shift” published today includes proposals for referendums in the twelve largest cities after London to have a directly elected city-wide Mayor. The cities are: Birmingham, Leeds, Sheffield, Bradford, Manchester, Liverpool, Bristol, Wakefield, Coventry, Leicester, Nottingham, Newcastle upon Tyne. There is little detail in the Green Paper. It does clarify that the…
The Conservative Party today released a Green Paper on local government – “Control Shift”. It includes plans to: give councils the powers to levy business rate discounts give councils financial benefits for new businesses and housing in their area make the local government funding system more transparent end capping powers in favour of referendums on council tax rises cut…
