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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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Political reset: Why it’s high time for a Community Power Act
Following the launch of the We’re Right Here campaign, Adam Lent explains why we’ve joined the drive to enshrine the rights of communities in law.
30th November, 2021
Community Power • Community Power Campaign • Community Voices • Devolution • Politics
No Kate Bingham, science won’t solve our government’s problems
A new breed of libertarianism argues that more scientific and data expertise are the only solutions to our democracy’s woes. Adam Lent counters that Westminster’s troubles originate in a...
25th November, 2021
4 steps for building a community-led high street
Vidhya Alakeson looks at how to create social, not just commercial town centre spaces.
By Vidhya Alakeson
25th November, 2021
How community power helps us find common ground on climate change and housing
Listening to communities can unlock co-benefits.
22nd November, 2021
Climate change • Community Power • Housing • Research Reports
The current NHS crisis is the result of repeated failures to overturn a broken model of healthcare
More short-term fixes will only lead to further crisis. It's time for leadership to change the narrative.
18th November, 2021
Building better: Three principles for community-powered housing
We're building under half of the new homes we need, while millions live in unsuitable and overcrowded accommodation. What if involving communities in planning could succeed where decades of...
17th November, 2021
How to take more risks – 9 practical tips
James Arrowsmith of Browne Jacobson shares his insights on how to overcome the fear of risk in your organisation.
By James Arrowsmith
15th November, 2021
This week shows only ground-up pressure will change an inert and dysfunctional Westminster
Holding onto second jobs and central power - Westminster is unable to change itself from within.
12th November, 2021
Community Power Campaign • Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Political Systems • Politics
How can councils help shape stories of place?
Bonnie Hewson explores how co-production can help rebuild trust between councils and communities.
By Bonnie Hewson, Power to Change
10th November, 2021
Community Cohesion • Community engagement • Council Voices • Local government • Local government reform
Climate Change: Why the local is the missing piece of our response
How do we blast through the inertia currently gripping British climate policy making?
8th November, 2021
6 principles for developing a story of council and place
Stories aren’t a distraction from action but rather a way to nurture and inspire it.
3rd November, 2021
Community Cohesion • Community engagement • Council Voices • Local government
How to become more community powered – 3 starting points
Introducing our new project on the ‘how’ of community power and our initial findings.
2nd November, 2021
Community Power • Local government • Local government reform • Research Reports
“Genuine reform is needed now”: Prof Donna Hall and Anna Severwright on fixing our broken social care
Anna and Donna discuss why we need to move beyond debating funding to creating a people-centred system.
1st November, 2021
5 reasons the Spending Review wasn’t good news for local government
Looking more closely at the detail beneath the positive Budget headlines.
28th October, 2021
Finance • Local government • Local government finance • Policy • Politics
Out of COP and into communities: why the Government needs to make room for local climate action
Jessica Studdert explains how disadvantaged communities can play a part in the fight against climate change - if they are given the power they need.
26th October, 2021
Climate change • Devolution • Economy and business • Local government
Can better data lead to better decisions for local councils?
Mark Green, from the award-winning Local Data Spaces project, looks at how to improve data sharing to increase impact in your area.
By Dr Mark Green
25th October, 2021
Data • Local government • Local government finance • Public Services
How local actions can tackle climate change
Local action can play a major role in our response to climate change.
20th October, 2021
Climate change • Community Power • Devolution and reorganisation • Research Reports
A community powered economy: 3 principles
As the world reels from an accelerating environmental crisis, Adam Lent details a vision of a sustainable economy that has local communities rather than big business at its heart....
12th October, 2021
Community-powered Conservatism: 3 ideas set to sweep government
Community power hit the political mainstream on Sunday, as Michael Gove used one of his first platforms as Secretary of State to endorse the idea of putting people in...
6th October, 2021
Community Power • Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Politics
New Tory MPs: We need to put power into hands of communities to level up the country
In a paper published by New Local, ten Conservative MPs elected in 2019 have said its time for their party to ‘trust the people’ and caution that money alone...
2nd October, 2021
An open Letter to Michael Gove from New Local
Give communities the power they need to level up
By New Local team
22nd September, 2021
Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Local government finance • Policy • Politics
How to unlock community power by strengthening working-class identities
New Local Network and Events Officer Stephanie Riches explains how the pandemic has changed how she views her own identity and illustrated the importance of taking pride in your...
16th September, 2021
Creating the story of a place
The right narrative or story can make the difference in creating change. How can you develop them? Bonnie Hewson of Power to Change shares some inspiring examples from communities.
By Bonnie Hewson, Power to Change
9th September, 2021
Community engagement • Community Power • Community Voices • Place building
Join our Campaign for Community Power
We're looking for community leaders to develop and lead a major new campaign for community power.
18th August, 2021
How local participation blossomed during Covid
During lockdown, there was a surprising increase in local participation - demonstrating the positive role of community power in emergencies.
By Donna Hall
16th August, 2021
What I’d keep after Covid
For many in local government, the Covid-19 pandemic has been defined not only by huge hardship and challenges, but also by renewed purpose, new partnerships and rediscovered passion for...
4th August, 2021
4 maps that show why we need local approaches to achieve Net Zero
The causes and effects of climate change are different in every part of the UK. If we want to achieve ‘net zero’ carbon emissions, we need local solutions to...
28th July, 2021
Climate change • Environment • Leadership • Research Reports
Local Government Explained Part 3: How are councils funded?
Local government finance can be mystifying. Taxes, rates, grants; shifting parametres and endless micro reforms. And yet how councils get their money has inescapable consequences for our places and...
23rd July, 2021
Explainer • Local government • Local government finance • Local government reform • Long read
Why we’re researching local solutions to climate change
Thinking of climate change through a local lens can help us find practical solutions, and stop searching for silver bullets. Luca Tiratelli on our new research project in partnership...
15th July, 2021
Climate change • Community Power • Environment • Research Reports
The community cure? Why hospitals can’t heal health inequalities
In the UK, access to healthcare may be egalitarian in principle, but outcomes are becoming less and less equal. Spurred on by the experience of Covid, a growing movement...
8th July, 2021
Community Power • Health and social care • Inequality • Long read
4 reasons why the NHS needs community power
Rising demand, poor outcomes, public expectations and the need to bring humanity to healthcare are why giving more power to communities is the change the NHS needs argues Luca...
1st July, 2021
“Pursuing a better future”: Why we joined New Local’s network
Last month, Camden Council became the 54th member of New Local’s network of councils. Director Nick Kimber explores how community power is helping to build a better borough, and...
By Nick Kimber, London Borough of Camden
28th June, 2021
Council Voices • Councils Respond • Members • Strategy and leadership
Forget integration: we need to disintegrate our public services
How can we make sure integrated care systems work for local people? Alex Fox argues we need to avoid just integrating bureaucracies, but take the opportunity to put patients'...
By Alex Fox, Shared Lives Plus
23rd June, 2021
Community Power • Health and social care • Public Services • Social Care
Why the north needs devolution — on our own terms
Robyn Vinter on how people in the north of England are hungry for change in their area, and why it needs to be locally-led to succeed.
By Robyn Vinter
21st June, 2021
Community engagement • Devolution and reorganisation • Economy and business • Strategy and leadership
“We have a democratic deficit in healthcare” Raj Jain on rethinking the NHS
New Local board member Raj Jain on moving beyond an "ill-health service".
By Raj Jain
8th June, 2021
Community Power • Health and social care • Public Health • Strategy and leadership
5 Routes to Community Power
What are the practical ways to make community power an everyday practice, not just a long-term ambition?
3rd June, 2021
Local Government Explained Part 2: What do councils do?
Ever wondered what your council tax was spent on, or what goes on inside a town hall? Read this explainer to find out.
27th May, 2021
Devolution and reorganisation • Explainer • Local government
How can we build ‘strong communities’?
Steve Skinner explores the features of strong communities and how local authorities can support them - from the grassroots up.
By Steve Skinner
25th May, 2021
‘Becoming the dog, not the wagging tail’: Transforming a Bristol estate
Mark Pepper was born and bred in Lawrence Weston, an historically neglected estate on the outskirts of Bristol. After one of the area’s last public spaces was closed, Mark...
24th May, 2021
Case study • Community Power • Community Voices • Podcast • Regeneration
3 Graphs that show the NHS is under threat
The NHS as we know it is increasingly unsustainable. These graphs show why - and how we need to change the way the NHS works if we want to...
20th May, 2021
What does Covid-19 mean for the inclusive growth agenda?
What's the role of inclusive growth in recovering from crisis? It's easy to see as a 'nice-to-have', but can be at the centre of helping us build back better.
18th May, 2021
Economy and business • Inclusive Growth • Research Reports • Welfare
The Narrowing Political Sphere and the Need for Community Power
Luca Tiratelli on how the Queen's Speech defines politics as something only done in Westminster, and why we need a community-first way of understanding democracy.
17th May, 2021
Political Systems • Politics • Third sector and civil society
Can community power help save our NHS?
Demand on the NHS is rising. To protect the future, the health service needs more than internal reform - it needs to reach outwards.
13th May, 2021
Community Power • Health and social care • Public Health • Public Services
Citizens Assemblies: fashionable focus groups or the great hopes of democracy?
All over the world, people are coming together to make decisions on some of the major issues we're facing today. But what is the potential for real consensus vs...
11th May, 2021
Citizens Assemblies • Community engagement • Community Power • Democracy • Local government • Long read
Local Government Explained Part 1: Types of councils
Local government can seem complicated, but it's where local democracy happens. We start our explainer series by looking at the different types of council in England and what they...
5th May, 2021
Democracy • Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Explainer • Local government
2021 Mayoral Elections – what are the parties saying about community power in England?
Voters across Great Britain will head to the polls on 6 May 2021 for important national and local elections. But what are the main contenders saying about community power?...
30th April, 2021
Devolution and reorganisation • Explainer • Political Systems • Politics
The human cost of centralisation
The pandemic has highlighted the gap between local communities and central government. Communities rose to the challenge and came together, central government scrambled to react and lost trust. Jane...
By Jane Dudman
29th April, 2021
2021 Holyrood Election – what are the parties saying about community power in Scotland?
Voters across Great Britain will head to the polls on 6 May 2021 for important national and local elections. But what are the parties saying about community power and...
28th April, 2021
Devolution and reorganisation • Explainer • Political Systems • Politics
Beyond the Westminster Circus: Statecraft vs Politics
The latest sleaze scandal shines a light on the rot within national politics. But a more serious, community powered model of democracy is emerging at a local level, writes...
27th April, 2021
Central government • Community Power • Leadership • Political Systems • Politics
2021 Senedd Election – what are the parties saying about community power in Wales?
Voters across Great Britain will head to the polls on 6 May 2021 for important national and local elections. But what are the parties saying about community power and...
23rd April, 2021
Devolution and reorganisation • Explainer • Political Systems • Politics