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We're soon to publish a guide to central gov interventions into #LocalGov before/after #S114, as has happened in #Birmingham, with commissioners, reviews, etc. Do you know anyone who would find this useful? Or even you? Reply here and we will make sure to send it out

submitted 8 days ago • 0 comments

Can anyone recommend any books on how the UK government (inc local councils) works? I've just ordered @iandunt.bsky.social How Westminster works. Thanks 😊

submitted 16 days ago • 1 comment

This is the case in local government too, where I've always been really torn about the value of presentation of petitions / public questions at meetings of full Council, in particular (1/)

submitted 29 days ago • 1 comment

Agree people don’t know what councils do etc. But I also think the public is reasonable enough to question why the local area looks dirty/declining etc while council tax bills have gone up and up and up and up and up. Politically it’s therefore currently ripe for undeliverable promises

submitted 48 days ago • 29 comments

UK regulator to investigate Ernst & Young 2015-18 audits of the Post Office. Despite public evidence of failures, it did nothing. Now responding to pressure in parliament. Why only 2015-18? Flawed accounting system resulted in false accounts & postmaster prosecutions years before. Token inquiry?

submitted 49 days ago • 7 comments

At the end of a slightly terrifying week, where a major financial crisis was averted – for now – I thought I’d reflect on whether such a crisis might happen anyway, and what this means for UK financial sector policy. A thread. /1

submitted 54 days ago • 1 comment

The government has published their response to the #LocalAudit consultation (which we also responded to earlier in the year): www.gov.uk/government/c...

submitted 51 days ago • 0 comments

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

submitted 57 days ago • 0 comments

Condensing all my notes on #Birmingham intervention this morning is making me feel like this #LocalGov #LocalDemocracy

submitted 68 days ago • 1 comment

Jason's work on 'truly democratic governance' is essential!

submitted 70 days ago • 0 comments

G ended her talk 'Who Owns Scrutiny' referring to social movements worldwide who remake scrutiny & accountability in their work/struggles. So great to be invited to be part of @cfgs.bsky.social conference along w/ People's Audit & MySociety. Met a lot of people, had some very good chats, more soon!

submitted 70 days ago • 0 comments

S.114 'outdated and unhelpful'. What other models could Westminster use to support local authorities with financial problems? www.publicfinance.co.uk/news/2025/03...

submitted 77 days ago • 0 comments

www.publicfinance.co.uk/news/2025/03...

submitted 82 days ago • 0 comments

This is really fascinating - one for the radical municipalism, public services and campaigning nerds !

submitted 84 days ago • 1 comment

📢 Anchor institutions & economic resilience in Leeds How would our city look if large organisations used their buying power to keep wealth circulating locally? Colleagues are exploring this in a project with @leedscitycouncil.bsky.social & local anchor networks. 🔗More: medium.com/policy-leeds...

submitted 85 days ago • 1 comment

www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

submitted 85 days ago • 0 comments

Scotland! Free webinars on using FOI in Scotland - 29th and 30th April with @foi.scot app.onlinesurveys.jisc.ac.uk/s/foiscotlan...

submitted 90 days ago • 0 comments

Feeling a bit sceptical about English Devolution as a key to restoring trust in (local) government, but I think this campaign @right-here.org is one to follow and support!

submitted 90 days ago • 0 comments

📜 The English Devolution Bill represents a huge opportunity to restore trust in government if done right. ❌ New polling for @right-here.org shows that 84% of Brits feel powerless, up from 71% in 2018. 🤝 Three quarters said giving power to local people would help restore trust in politics.

submitted 91 days ago • 1 comment

Devolution plans are a distraction from real issues, say council leaders in #Cambridgeshire www.cambridgeindependent.co.uk/news/devolut...

submitted 91 days ago • 1 comment

www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2025...

submitted 91 days ago • 0 comments

"Funding for local government has increased in recent years, reversing the long-term downward trend of the previous decade. However...it has not kept pace with population growth or the demand for services, the complexity of need, or the cost of delivering services to people most in need of support."

submitted 91 days ago • 0 comments

Good summary of #LocalGov workforce in England by @local.gov.uk www.local.gov.uk/sites/defaul...

submitted 96 days ago • 0 comments

Confused about English #LocalGov devolution? @lgiu-local-gov.bsky.social to the rescue as ever! lgiu.org/blog-article...

submitted 96 days ago • 0 comments

Booking tickets for a trip to Birmingham in March - looking forwar to @cfgs.bsky.social Conference and also catching up with what #CouncilsInCrisis looks like in the biggest bankrupt #LocalGov !

submitted 97 days ago • 0 comments

Next financial year, 30 council will receive Exceptional Financial Support from the government. This is one of the measures to try and keep struggling authorities afloat, but not a substitute to a properly funded #localgov sector. www.gov.uk/guidance/exc...

submitted 99 days ago • 0 comments

First #LocalGov #CouncilTax rise announced in Scotland - 10% for East Lothian. And 6.5% on council house rent www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

submitted 103 days ago • 0 comments

So important to see these sectoral responses to govt inquiries, which hit the nail on the head - Librarians and library workers say that current LG regime for identifying and responding to financial distress “incentivises short-term savings over long-term investment in communities”. #LocalGov

submitted 103 days ago • 0 comments

Many things are broken in the sphere of local councils in England. You won't notice them unless things go wrong and you're a councillor in a local council where those things have gone wrong. I am a local councillor and they have and I've had the misfortune to find out just how bad things are.

submitted 106 days ago • 1 comment

Between 2010-11 and 2020-21, the burden of council tax on the lowest income households has increased by up to two percentage points. From the Resolution Foundation:

submitted 107 days ago • 0 comments

Worked in a local government education department when PFI was all the rage in 2002. We knew this would happen then and here we are.

submitted 112 days ago • 1 comment

The #PFI chickens are coming home to roost - time to dust off the knowledge and reignite campaigning agaisnt it?

submitted 112 days ago • 0 comments

Our chief executive @petek00.bsky.social says yet another Scottish Government consultation about local government finance must lead to an end to the ‘unjust and regressive’ council tax. People on low incomes need action now. www.povertyalliance.org/news-people-...

submitted 112 days ago • 0 comments

The Director of Public Health in Sheffield @felly500.bsky.social says the proportion of the population living in poverty has risen steeply over the last decadea nd is becoming more entrenched Destitution in particular, is rising at the fastest rate Approx 1 in 4 people in Sheffield living in poverty

submitted 112 days ago • 2 comments

HAstings BC response to devolution plans - 'we need to ensure that these new Mayoral Authorities actually empower local communities rather than suck power away and up into larger more distant structures.'

submitted 117 days ago • 0 comments

👁️What's happening in Research for Action? Councils in crisis, councils in flux, reflections on 2024 and upcoming events. researchforaction.uk/new-year-new...

submitted 117 days ago • 0 comments

Good re r/ship between #Devolution & #LocalGov debt. E.g proposed Surrey unitary- large debt coming from #Woking alone. 'Neither devolution nor local government reorganisation will stabilise financial position of the LG sector overall without wider funding reform.' www.room151.co.uk/151-news/reo...

submitted 118 days ago • 0 comments

Local council elections are to be postponed in... Essex (Con run) Hampshire (Con) Isle of Wight (Hung) Norfolk (Con) Suffolk (Con) Surrey (Con) West Sussex (Con) East Sussex (Hung) Thurrock (Lab) https://buff.ly/40IIjuu

submitted 118 days ago • 4 comments

🚨 We’re deeply concerned about the Final Local Government Finance Settlement and what it means for rural communities. Learn more and share your views with us ⏩ www.rsnonline.org.uk/concerns-final-local-government-finance-settlement #LocalGov #RuralPolicy #FairFunding

submitted 119 days ago • 0 comments