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The lockdown strikes back, but local lessons give hope
Covid-19 has brought unimaginable hardship to local communites, but it has also sparked a shift in mindset, culture and practice that helped many get through the pandemic and will...
13th January, 2021
Build Back Better • Community Power • Covid-19 • Local government • Shifting the Balance • Strategy and leadership
How our new network will build hopeful, hostility-free towns
From the start of 2021, HOPE not hate Charitable Trust are starting to build a Towns Leadership Network, to improve community cohesion. The initiative is a central part of...
By Chris Clarke, Policy Researcher, HOPE not hate.
11th January, 2021
Community Cohesion • Community Power • Diversity • Immigration • Leadership • Resilience • Towns
Overheard during Covid: What the pandemic has taught us
Over six months, Pippa Coutts and her colleagues at Carnegie Trust talked to communities across the UK to gather their experience of the Covid pandemic. The resulting ‘Listening Project’...
By Pippa Coutts
9th December, 2020
Community Power and Me: Katie Kelly, East Ayrshire
A vlog from Katie Kelly, Depute Chief Executive - Safer Communities, at East Ayshire Council in Scotland. In 2013, Katie helped set up the council's Vibrant Communities Service -...
7th December, 2020
Build Back Better • Community Power • Community Power and Me • Covid-19 • Interview • Mobilisation • New Local Network • Scotland • Strategy and leadership
Why only community-led devolution will give us the skills we need
Even before the Covid pandemic, UK skills were falling behind other countries in terms of participation and spending. With huge employment and economic challenges on the horizon, Charlotte Morgan...
26th November, 2020
Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Education and skills • Employment • Skills
Local Actions for Global Problems: Climate change, communities and changing mindsets
Most of us recognise that climate change will soon overshadow every crisis that came before. But our approaches to tackling it are too often marred by denial, evasion and...
19th November, 2020
Health is made at home, hospitals are for repairs
Health care is so much more about what happens in hospitals, writes the former Chief Executive of the English NHS. Instead, it can thrive with the help of 'health...
By Lord Nigel Crisp, former Chief Executive of the English NHS
13th November, 2020
Community Power • Guest Blog • Health and social care • Health care • Public Health
From Covid to communities – the future of social care
The crises facing care homes meant social care became part of the news during Covid-19. But how can we look beyond it to building a better system for future...
By Kathryn Smith, Chief Executive, Social Care Institute for Excellence (SCIE)
10th November, 2020
Community Power • Guest Blog • Health and social care • Public Services • Social Care
Commmunity Rights and Spending Cuts
The wave of spending cuts about to hit councils is yet another Westminster slap in the face to local communities. Adam Lent argues that we can only stop central...
By Adam Lent, Chief Executive, New Local
2nd November, 2020
For jobseekers facing complex disadvantage, the DWP just isn’t working
Over 2 million people are out of work due to health conditions and disabilities. But each year, only 4% move into employment. Introducing new research This Isn't Working, Tom...
By Tom Pollard, Mental health policy expert
27th October, 2020
Disabilities • DWP • Employment • Mental health • Welfare
Podcast: This Isn’t Working
In this podcast, we discuss why the DWP report is ill-equipped to support people out of long-term unemployment. And we look at at the community approach that could replace...
27th October, 2020
Disabilities • DWP • Employment • Health • Health and social care • Mental health • Podcast
The Greater Manchester decision reveals our communities are poor because they are powerless
The decision to impose Covid restrictions on Greater Manchester is about far more than a political spat, says Adam Lent, it is an extreme example of our rulers' centralist...
By Adam Lent
21st October, 2020
Covid-19 • Devolution and reorganisation • Greater Manchester • Political Systems
Three reasons why Elinor Ostrom is the thinker for right now
Elinor Ostrom was a Nobel Prize-winning thinker and godmother of the community power movement. Here are three vital lessons her work has for the UK today.
By Dr Simon Kaye
21st October, 2020
Communities are being failed. It’s time to enshrine their rights.
The Government’s centralised response and lethal failures on Covid mean it's time to acknowledge that local communities have rights that should be enshrined in law.
By Adam Lent
15th October, 2020
Central government • Community Power • Community Rights • Long read • Politics
We urgently need a fresh approach to devolution
Amid doubts about the government's plans for a devolution white paper, Adam Lent outlines three principles to guide a new approach to reform.
By Adam Lent
9th October, 2020
Central government • Covid-19 • Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation
Missing links? How Covid-19 exposed goverment’s connection problem
The pandemic showed how much central government tightens its grip in a crisis. But it's the connection with local goverrment, not just power that's the problem.
By Jessica Studdert
6th October, 2020
Central government • Covid • Devolution and reorganisation • Strategy and leadership
How community power could save the high street
The decline of the high street was only sped up by Covid-19 – but could commununity ownership help reverse this trend? With inspiring examples from across the UK, Ailbhe...
By Ailbhe McNabola, Head of Research and Policy, Power to Change
1st October, 2020
‘Devolve to Resolve’ the jobs and skills challenge
“We need to be creative, brave and try things that no government has ever done before.” This is how, in a recent tweet, chancellor Rishi Sunak proposed that he...
1st October, 2020
A second wave for mutual aid?
The rise of Mutual Aid groups was a rare positive to come out of the pandemic, seeing thousands of people coming together to help their neighbours through hardship and...
By Luca Tiratelli , Senior Policy Researcher
1st October, 2020
Together, big state and big business ruined our Covid response. Local communities can take it from here.
A ‘marriage from hell’ between big state and big business birthed a litany of failures during Covid-19. Meanwhile, councils and communities have proved themselves far more equipped to cope....
By Jessica Studdert, Deputy Director, New Local Government Network
25th September, 2020
Has councils’ Covid response boosted – or blighted – the case for devolution?
While devolution might be set back by the government’s centralising instincts, which have been laid bare during the pandemic, this is counterbalanced by the support councils have won through...
By Charlotte Morgan, Senior Policy Researcher, NLGN, 16 September, 2020
16th September, 2020
Pillars of Strength: How can we build a ‘Resilient Britain’
From the perspective of international comparisons, Britain’s performance during the COVID-19 pandemic has been a chastening experience. Both in terms of economics and in terms of public health, we...
By Luca Tiratelli, Policy Researcher, NLGN
15th September, 2020
‘Nice White Parents’ and the Corruption of Democracy
A new podcast series from the New York Times makes a simple observation – that the single most powerful force in American public schools are concerned white people. Over...
By Luca Tiratelli, Senior Policy Researcher
3rd September, 2020
A (New) Design for Learning: Doing skills devolution differently
When we talk about devolution, as we will do increasingly when the UK Government’s Devolution and Local Recovery White Paper is published this Autumn, we should remember that it...
By Charlotte Morgan, Senior Policy Researcher, NLGN
1st September, 2020
Staff Choose: Summer Community Power Reads
This might not be your traditional summer for kicking back and relaxing with the latest page-turner, so why not try out something a bit more… powerful? Our NLGN team...
By NLGN Team
7th August, 2020
The moment for Universal Basic Income is now, and it’s local
As we look to a post-pandemic future, more and more local authorities are getting behind the idea of a Universal Basic Income. The case is stronger than ever, argues...
By Simon Duffy, Centre for Welfare Reform / UBI Lab Network
7th August, 2020
Future plans: a community-powered approach to housing?
A new Government White Paper envisages radical reform for planning. But, while it hints at a community-led approach, it also sets rules and targets to be imposed by national...
By John Myers, Co-founder, YIMBY Alliance,
6th August, 2020
Community Power • Housing • Place building • Planning • Public Services
Key findings: How to Mobilise Communities
Communities have the power to do extraordinary things. The evidence for this is all around us at the moment. However, for this potential to be unleashed, work needs to...
By Luca Tiratelli, Policy Researcher, NLGN
29th July, 2020
Have you shifted the balance? New research on a post-Covid future
The COVID-19 pandemic, as well as producing huge hardship and challenges, was also a time that saw incredible innovation, resilience and compassion. NLGN's new report 'Shifting the Balance', aims...
By Simon Kaye, Senior Policy Researcher, NLGN
26th July, 2020
PREPARING FOR A RESURGENCE OF COVID-19: 3 TAKE-AWAYS FROM NLGN’S LATEST LEADERSHIP INDEX SURVEY
As councils prepare for recovery from COVID-19, we asked leaders in local government how their councils are preparing for a potential second wave
By Pawda Tjoa, Senior Policy Researcher, NLGN
23rd July, 2020
Podcast: The Rise of Mutual Aid
Have a Listen: The public response to the COVID-19 pandemic has been a source of much-needed hope. Thousands of spontaneous, voluntary Mutual Aid groups have emerged to support the...
13th July, 2020
“After Covid, it will be hard for any government to say radical climate action is not possible.”
We're talking to people leading change in local government about their work, their place, and the pandemic.
By Hannah Jameson, Lambeth Council
10th July, 2020
“The NHS can learn about community power from local gov” – An interview with Sir Chris Ham
NLGN is proud to welcome Sir Chris Ham to our Board.
7th July, 2020
Chris Ham • Community Power • Health care • Interview • New Local Board • NHS
Putting the community at the heart of children’s services: A Call for Best Practice
A growing number of councils are adopting new approaches to children's services which tap into the capacity and experiences of local people.
By Pawda Tjoa, Senior Policy Researcher, NLGN
18th June, 2020
Four ways COVID-19 is changing the relationship between communities and public services
In a new report, we explore how COVID is changing the relationship between public services and communities.
By Charlotte Morgan, Senior Policy Researcher, NLGN
9th June, 2020
Build Back Better • Community Power • Covid-19 • Public Services
Now is the moment for councils to share power with their communities
How can deliberative forums be used to engage and mobilise communities?
By Bonnie Hewson, Programme Manager Power to Change
8th June, 2020
Economic confidence might be slumping, but community power is on the rise
Throughout the pandemic central government has worked against the grain of local energy, but hope can be found in our communities and councils, writes Jessica Studdert. Councils’ confidence in...
By Jessica Studdert, Deputy Director, NLGN
28th May, 2020
CONFIDENCE IN THE TIME OF COVID-19: 3 TAKE-AWAYS FROM our LATEST LEADERSHIP INDEX SURVEY
As the COVID-19 crisis unfolded, we asked leaders in local government how their councils are coping with the challenges of this crisis. Here are the three things we’ve learned...
By Pawda Tjoa, Senior Researcher
28th May, 2020
Child protection social work in a pandemic: Turning towards the community?
“Disasters shake things loose. And the things that we regarded as fixed and unchangeable can suddenly be changed” (Solnit, 2020) Rebecca Solnit has become the ‘go to’ writer for...
By Brid Featherstone
12th May, 2020
Councils and COVID-19: The Response Edition #7
04/5/20 – 08/5/20 Local authorities are indispensable in our current crisis and are therefore under enormous pressure. They manage the public services that people are increasingly reliant on, support...
By Charlotte Morgan, Senior Policy Researcher, NLGN
7th May, 2020
Community Power • Councils Respond • Covid-19 • Public Services
Councils and COVID-19: The Response Edition #6
27/4/20 – 01/5/20 Local authorities are indispensable in our current crisis and are therefore under enormous pressure. They manage the public services that people are increasingly reliant on, support...
By Charlotte Morgan, Senior Policy Researcher, NLGN
1st May, 2020
Community Power • Councils Respond • Covid-19 • Public Services
Five reasons targets are a terrible way to do government
Under pressure following criticism of his approach to testing for Covid-19, at the start of April Health Secretary Matt Hancock announced a new target: the government would be carrying...
By Jessica Studdert, Deputy Director, NLGN
29th April, 2020
Community Power • Leadership • Local government finance • Strategy and leadership
The Government doesn’t just need an exit plan, it needs a strategy for recovery – and future resilience
Adam Lent, Director of the New Local Government Network, says we urgently need a post-pandemic recovery strategy for the public as well as the private sector. While the UK...
By Adam Lent, Director, NLGN
27th April, 2020
Councils and COVID-19: The Response Edition #5
20/4/20 – 24/4/20 Local authorities are indispensable in our current crisis and are therefore under enormous pressure. They manage the public services that people are increasingly reliant on, support...
By Charlotte Morgan, Senior Policy Researcher, NLGN
24th April, 2020
Community Power • Councils Respond • Covid-19 • Public Services
New Research: How local gov can mobilise communities
Today, there are more councils than ever who realise that they can’t do it alone. That their best work, and most robust decisions, come from working hand-in-hand with the...
By Luca Tiratelli, Policy Researcher, NLGN
21st April, 2020
Elinor Ostrom and Community Power in the UK – Presentation
Who was Elinor Ostrom? What were her key arguments? How are they relevant to localism, public services, and politics in the UK? This presentation serves as an introduction to...
By Simon Kaye
20th April, 2020
Community Power • Ostrom • Politics • Public Services • Video
Councils and COVID-19: The Response Edition #4
Local authorities are indispensable in our current crisis and are therefore under enormous pressure. They manage the public services that people are increasingly reliant on, support the most vulnerable...
By Charlotte Morgan, Senior Policy Researcher, NLGN
17th April, 2020
Community Power • Councils Respond • Covid-19 • Public Services
Feeling Keynes? Why crisis economics needs to look beyond the 40s
After years of enforced slumber, the state is starting to stir. The signs of this were there even before the pandemic hit in full, with Rishi Sunak’s March budget...
By Luca Tiratelli, Policy Researcher, NLGN
14th April, 2020
Councils and COVID-19: The Response Edition #3
Local authorities are indispensable in our current crisis and are therefore under enormous pressure. They manage the public services that people are increasingly reliant on, support the most vulnerable...
By Charlotte Morgan, Senior Policy Researcher, NLGN
9th April, 2020
Community Power • Councils Respond • Covid-19 • Public Services
Councils and covid-19: The response Edition #2
Local authorities are indispensable in our current crisis and are therefore under enormous pressure. They manage the public services that people are increasingly reliant on, support the most vulnerable...
By Charlotte Morgan, Senior Policy Researcher, NLGN
3rd April, 2020
Community Power • Councils Respond • Covid-19 • Public Services