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Our latest blogs, long-reads, videos and podcasts about all-things community power, local government, public services, and more.
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Gordon Brown’s report should warm the heart of every localist
Adam Lent argues the former prime minister has produced the most radical devolutionary programme from either of the two big parties in decades, but far less ambitious plans than...
7th December, 2022
Community Power • Devolution • Local government • Local government reform
A report on the UK’s Future worthy of the name
Jessica Studdert reacts to Labour’s latest proposals to reform the UK constitution.
6th December, 2022
There’s a new model for town centre regeneration – and it starts with a visionary council
How can councils turn town centre buildings into vibrant community-led hubs that benefit local people and strengthen the local economy?
By Bex Trevalyan
2nd December, 2022
Asset transfer • Council Voices • Innovation • Place building
Short term protection but long term problems
Laura Charlesworth unpacks what the Autumn Statement means for a health and care system in crisis.
18th November, 2022
The Autumn Statement will push public services over their tipping point
Adam Lent argues that without a much smarter approach, the quality of public services will continue to deteriorate rapidly. The consequences will be profound.
18th November, 2022
Budgeting • Central government • Local government • Public Services • Social Care
Chancellor’s Autumn Statement 2022 – what does it mean for local government?
Here’s our snapshot on what the Autumn Statement means for local government.
17th November, 2022
Budgeting • Central government • Local government • Public Services • Social Care
The Story of Lily and Muhammed
Ahead of the Autumn Statement, Polly Lord examines the potential human impact of cuts to our public services.
16th November, 2022
Budgeting • Economy and business • Local government • Public Services
Cuts or unsustainable spending? There is an alternative
Ahead of the Autumn Statement, Adam Lent argues that we need a bold, national ‘invest-to-save’ programme for public services funded by taxes on the wealthiest.
14th November, 2022
Elon Musk and the Spiralling ‘Tragedy of the Private’
Adam Lent argues that in a permacrisis era, it is the privately owned that is proving fragile not the public and the common.
11th November, 2022
The time has come to celebrate local leadership
With trust in national politicians reaching new lows, Polly Lord argues that councils are stepping up (again) to lead their local areas through the current crisis.
8th November, 2022
Community engagement • Community Power • Leadership • Local government
Local government finance: what a difference a year makes
One year on from the spending review, Polly Lord looks at the current picture of public service funding ahead of anticipated cuts in the Autumn budget
27th October, 2022
Budgeting • Central government • Community Power • Economy and business • Local government finance
Is it time to retire the term ‘left behind’?
How do people from post-industrial areas – and other economically disadvantaged communities – feel about being labelled ‘left behind’? What could a more inclusive, representative vocabulary look like? James...
By James Morrison
13th October, 2022
The real Tragedy of the Commons
As MPs return to Parliament, and in the wake of an economic orthodoxy overhaul, Polly Lord examines the ‘tragedy of the commons’ phenomenon - arguing that the real tragedy...
7th October, 2022
Politicians of all parties say they will deliver economic growth. What if that isn’t possible anymore?
Adam Lent argues that in an era of repeated crises, Chancellors will ultimately have to focus more on delivering resilience than growth.
6th October, 2022
Budgeting • Central government • Climate change • Economy and business
It’s the power of communities, not fancy slogans, that will help save our NHS
Building a community-powered NHS that is capable of supporting good health in neighbourhoods and reducing demand pressures on hospitals has never been more needed. But it goes against all...
4th October, 2022
Animation: A Community-Powered NHS
We know the diagnosis: the NHS is at risk from ever-increasing demand. We need a new approach to healthcare that makes prevention a reality – by putting communities first.
4th October, 2022
Community engagement • Community Power • Explainer • Health and social care • Video
A resilient house needs strong foundations
Joe Sarling explains how the relentless focus on economic growth with central interventions at the expense of communities erodes the very things that would foster resilience, growth and thriving...
30th September, 2022
Budgeting • Central government • Economy and business • Levelling Up • Local government
Growth Plan 2022 – A gamble too far?
In response to the Chancellor’s Growth Plan, we set out some of the key announcements that could impact councils up and down the country.
23rd September, 2022
Budgeting • Central government • Economy and business • Health and social care • Levelling Up • Local government
How We Did It: Poverty Truth Commission
In the latest of our ‘How We Did It’ event series, Claire Vibert shares her experience of setting up and running a complex and collaborative Poverty Truth Commission in...
20th September, 2022
Community engagement • Community Voices • How to guide • Interview • Poverty and inequality
How might a local area stop people experiencing deep poverty and destitution – and what would this look like?
The current cost-of-living crisis adds to the urgency to not only mitigate the impact of poverty, but to fundamentally rethink how systems can prevent people falling into the deepest...
23rd August, 2022
Community engagement • Participation and co-production • poverty • Public Services
Community Calling – People want more influence, and policy makers need better local intelligence
At a time when debates are polarised, politics feels stale, and the country is looking for answers to big challenges, it is clearer than ever that we need to...
4th August, 2022
Why the NHS urgently needs to turn to the community – and how to do it
Jessica Studdert on a new way of treating healthcare: one that puts communities – and therefore prevention – first.
12th July, 2022
Community engagement • Community Paradigm • Community Power • Health and social care
What is Community Power? FAQs, answered
Community power is growing as idea and a movement. But what does it mean in practice? What are its implications for policy? And what's next for this new paradigm?...
28th June, 2022
Identity issues: How two councils rewrote their narratives
How does a council rebrand its place, building a story and narrative that helps it to thrive? We explore how it was done in York and Hackney.
19th May, 2022
Council Voices • Innovation • Local government • Narrative building
How We Did It: Transferring assets to communities
In our latest How We Did It event, we spoke to Zoe Sharratt of Gateshead Council. They've passed around 45 buildings and spaces to communities.
18th May, 2022
5 challenges of evaluating place-based change
How can we measure long-term change in an area? Lily O’Flynn shares tools and advice for evaluating place-based change.
By Lily O’Flynn, Senior Project Manager for Place Based Evaluations, Renaisi
16th May, 2022
Monitoring and Evaluation • Place building • Public Services • Strategy and leadership
New polling: Public back community-powered solutions to national crises
Our new polling finds widespread public support for the idea of community power - including to tackle the cost of living crisis.
9th May, 2022
“I’d like them for all my patients”: The community members transforming a GP practice
Meet the UK's first Community Heath Workers, local people attached to a GP's surgery who check-in on the health of the neighbours. And who are already showing a different...
25th April, 2022
The Shared Prosperity Fund: Where’s the imagination? Where’s the control?
The new Shared Properity Fund promised a lot - slashing bureaucracy, giving local control, creating wealth. So why does it so closely replicate dumped EU funding? Joe Sarling finds...
14th April, 2022
Central government • Finance • Levelling Up • Local government finance
Top quotes from Stronger Things
A round-up of some of the most notable take-aways from New Local’s festival of community power.
13th April, 2022
Community Voices • Events • Politics • Strategy and leadership • Stronger Things
“There’s not enough community power within ICSs” Donna Hall on NHS reforms
The NHS is embarking on the biggest reforms of a generation - creating an integrated system that should usher in joined-up care and improved outcomes for patients. As new...
By Donna Hall, New Local & Bolton NHS Trust
12th April, 2022
Creating better health starts with admitting what we just don’t know
Structural reform can only go so far. Claire Kennedy looks at why effective population health management means accepting that we don’t know exactly what that means – and working...
By Claire Kennedy, Managing Partner, PPL & Vice Chair, New Local
11th April, 2022
Health and social care • Leadership • Public Health • Public Services
“With really empowered communities, pride follows.” Angela Rayner speech at Stronger Things
The full text of the speech delivered by Angela Rayner at New Local's Stronger Things 2022 at the Guildhall, London on 29 March.
By Angela Rayner
4th April, 2022
“If we don’t involve our people, then what’s the point?” The community-powered mayor.
Adam Lent interviews Rokhsana Fiaz, Mayor of Newham, on how a community power approach shapes the council’s work and her politics.
28th March, 2022
Community engagement • Community Voices • Leadership • Local government • Stronger Things
Putting communities at the heart of place – why a shared vision isn’t enough
5 lessons from 15 years of supporting better outcomes by developing effective place-based partnerships.
By Simon Morioka, PPL
25th March, 2022
Health and social care • Participation and co-production • Place building • Public Services • Stronger Things
Community power: sounds great, but how do we do this?
We spoke to TPXimpact’s Claire Hazelgrove about the importance of giving everyone a voice in change and the practical tips to help the public sector embrace community power.
21st March, 2022
Community engagement • Community Voices • Democracy • Events • Stronger Things
How culture change equips councils for better community engagement
CitizenLab share their top tips for community engagement and explain the value of a dedicated digital engagement team.
By Vanja Pantic, CitizenLab
17th March, 2022
Community Cohesion • Events • Local government • Participation and co-production • Public Services • Stronger Things
Doing Community Power – interviewing the people making it happen
We spoke to some of the leaders speaking on the ‘Doing Community Power’ panel at our Stronger Things event about their big ideas, overcoming doubters, and what they wish...
1st March, 2022
Community Power • Community Voices • Design • Stronger Things
The Permanent Crisis is Here. The State Must Rapidly Adapt.
In this crisis-ridden era, Adam Lent argues that a bigger state is needed but it must be a fundamentally different, community powered state.
23rd February, 2022
Climate change • Community Power Campaign • Covid-19 • Politics
When it comes to health, it’s all about that place
The government’s new health white paper sets out steps towards what ‘joined-up care’ will really mean, finally recognising the centrality of place. Claire Kennedy finds much to celebrate, as...
By Claire Kennedy, Managing Director and co-founder, PPL and Vice Chair, New Local
16th February, 2022
Building back better from the pandemic starts with community power
A year on from our report about community responses to the first lockdown, some local authorities have made great progress at working with community groups but others still struggle...
10th February, 2022
Community Power • Covid-19 • Local government • Research Reports • Third sector and civil society
A White Paper fit for Groundhog Day
Have we been here before? Jessica Studdert on the Levelling Up white paper, and how laudable ambitions have amounted to a familiar dearth of real powers or policy coherence...
2nd February, 2022
Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Levelling Up • Local government • Politics
Devolution: What’s new in the Levelling Up White Paper?
Charlotte Morgan gives a rapid response to the Government's Levelling Up white paper - and what it really says about devolution.
2nd February, 2022
Hear This: Three questions to help build a listening culture
Grace Pollard explores how organisations can ask themselves: How are we listening? Who are we listening to? And does our listening lead to action?
31st January, 2022
Community engagement • Community Power • Culture • Democracy • Local government
Why you should be at Stronger Things 2022
Take a moment to reflect and learn, recharge and connect, and reboot the way you work at the community power event of the year.
28th January, 2022
We should rip welfare policy out of the hands of a failing Westminster
Today’s announcement on Universal Credit is one more example of welfare policy set to serve the interests of the politically powerful rather than the unemployed and the economy.
27th January, 2022
Devolution • Employment • Local government • Politics • Welfare
Funding Cohesion with the Hopeful Towns Bid-Builder
Chris Clarke of HOPE Not Hate introduces a new tool to help councils find and secure funds for community cohesion projects.
By Chris Clarke, Policy Researcher at HOPE Not hate
24th January, 2022
Charities • Community Cohesion • Local government • Local government finance
Why councils should back the new call for a community power act
A new campaign seeks support for a route to decentralisation that is more meaningful and radical than the government’s, writes Adam Lent
17th January, 2022
Community engagement • Community Power • Community Power Campaign • Devolution
Avoiding the pitfalls of community power – 3 tips for councils
Sheffield University’s Dr Matthew Wood shares three tips for councils aspiring to bring communities into decision making.
By Dr Matthew Wood
5th January, 2022
Dear Michael Gove, here’s what real devolution looks like
Following the leak of Gove’s devolution plans, Adam Lent explores the difference between a devolution designed to empower communities and places and one that is stuck in an outdated...
14th December, 2021
Central government • Community Power • Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Politics