Tag: Devolution

Radical devolution was a key talking point at Labour party conference, but Keir Starmer's speech didn't deliver on the detail, writes Katy Oglethorpe.

23rd October, 2023

Central government • Community Power • Devolution • Labour • Local government • Politics

How wealth is distributed and how much power local areas have over spending is fundamental to growing the economy. Here's how to make fiscal devolution work.

26th April, 2023

Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Explainer • Local government finance • Local government reform

We explain what fiscal devolution is, bust myths that it will lead to higher taxes, explore different ways to do it, and recommend how to make it happen.

26th April, 2023

Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Local government • Local government finance • Local government reform

Polly Lord sets out five lessons for England from the Welsh Wellbeing of Future Generations Act.

28th February, 2023

Devolution • Public Services • Wales • Wellbeing

The centre has lost its ability to govern and radical change is needed, writes Adam Lent.

14th February, 2023

Central government • Community Power • Devolution • Local government

Polly Lord outlines what's needed in any Take Back Control Bill to make it meaningful for communities.

13th January, 2023

Central government • Community Power • Devolution

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 this have become lost in the weeds of internal party...

7th December, 2022

Community Power • Devolution • Local government • Local government reform

Jessica Studdert reacts to Labour’s latest proposals to reform the UK constitution.

6th December, 2022

Community Power • Devolution • Local government

Two thirds of people do not trust national politicians to address the mounting cost of living crisis.

8th May, 2022

Community Power • Community Power Campaign • Devolution • Leadership • Local government • Politics

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 for local government. The regional inequalities which mar our country...

2nd February, 2022

Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Levelling Up • Local government • Politics

Charlotte Morgan gives a rapid response to the Government's Levelling Up white paper - and what it really says about devolution.

2nd February, 2022

Community Power • Devolution • Levelling Up

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

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

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 focus on growth and productivity.

14th December, 2021

Central government • Community Power • Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Politics

Some elected representatives find community power objectionable. Adam Lent explains why their concerns say more about the failings of the current system than about a community powered alternative.

6th December, 2021

Community Power • Devolution • Political Systems • Politics

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

It’s not NIMBYs preventing housing being built – it’s a system that creates conflict by design.

17th November, 2021

Devolution • Housing • Research Reports

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

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

Local action is the ‘missing piece’ of plans to fight climate change.

20th October, 2021

Climate change • Community Power • Devolution • Research Reports

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 charge of local services and social infrastructure.

6th October, 2021

Community Power • Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Politics

New Local and the New Social Covenant Unit are pleased to co-publish this report by 10 Conservative MPs.

2nd October, 2021

Community Power • Devolution • Politics

Give communities the power they need to level up

22nd September, 2021

Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Local government finance • Policy • Politics

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 do.

5th May, 2021

Democracy • Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Explainer • Local government

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 argues that local areas and their communities could transform skills...

26th November, 2020

Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Education and skills • Employment • Skills

With huge employment and economic challenges on the horizon, Charlotte Morgan argues that local partnershiops of councils, colleges and communities could transform post-16 education in England - if they are given the powers and resources to do so.

26th November, 2020

Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Education and skills • Employment • Skills

Amid doubts about the government's plans for a devolution white paper, Adam Lent outlines three principles to guide a new approach to reform.

9th October, 2020

Central government • Covid-19 • Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation

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 is the enabling arm of subsidiarity. This principle holds that...

1st September, 2020

Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation

What on earth is devolution, what’s held it back & what might come out of the new government White Paper? This animation accompanies this handy FAQ by New Local policy researcher Charlotte Morgan.

30th January, 2020

Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Video

English devolution is back in the spotlight. As the Government prepares to publish a White Paper to set out its “offer for enhanced devolution across England”, we at NLGN have put together some FAQs to give you the devo-lowdown...

24th January, 2020

Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation

So, Her Majesty told us yesterday that her counsellors will be launching another round of devolution. It won’t happen of course unless Boris Johnson marches back into Downing Street with something like a workable majority. But it shows that...

16th October, 2019

Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Political Systems

Since publishing The Community Paradigm in February, a question I get asked more than any other is what community-led services look like in practice. Clearly, there is a hunger out there to understand the mechanics of shifting to a...

10th July, 2019

Community Power • Devolution • Strategy and leadership

What is the point of public service inspectorates like Ofsted and the Care Quality Commission? The standard line is that they are there to make sure public sector bodies offer the very best to the communities they serve. But...

9th July, 2019

Community Power • Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation

This report highlights ideas and best practice successfully implemented by countries, regions and cities around the world in response to similar challenges faced by places in the UK.

3rd July, 2019

Cities • Devolution • Education and skills • Employment • Skills

This month, three councils in the North East came together to create a Combined Authority and start the next phase of our devolution journey. Newcastle, North Tyneside and Northumberland are, from scratch, putting together what I hope will be...

7th December, 2018

Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Political Systems

Blink and you might have missed it. Amid the fireworks of last week’s Budget, we had some positive devolution news. On Friday 2nd November, the North of Tyne devolution deal was formally signed off. This development must be seen...

7th November, 2018

Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation

The Chancellor was clearly feeling the hand of history on his shoulder. A new chapter and a turning point were declared as Phillip Hammond informed the House that austerity was now ending just like the PM said it would....

30th October, 2018

Devolution • Local government finance • Politics

There is nothing new about English devolution being couched in economic terms, particularly as the UK Government has pinned the devolution agenda in England firmly to the spatial framework of city regions. What is remarkable is that, under May’s...

19th June, 2018

Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation

NLGN has been commissioned by the Key Cities Group to undertake research into how mid-sized cities can contribute to resolving the big national challenges that the UK currently faces. The first report, ‘Key Cities: Ready to Meet the UK’s...

5th June, 2018

Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Strategy and leadership

This article first appeared on the Local Government Chronicle website on 30th May 2018 You don’t need to trawl the archives of The New York Times to know that a 2,500 word special on the Knowsley Council wards of...

30th May, 2018

Devolution • Local government finance

The prospect of “taking back control” motivated many who voted to Leave in the EU Referendum. Whether it was the institutions of Brussels, the policies of the EU or the wider impact of globalisation, a balance of people in...

11th November, 2017

Brexit • Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Politics

The local elections earlier this month saw several city regions elect first time Metro Mayors. The turnout in places like Manchester (29%), where Andy Burnham was elected, was pretty good for a plebiscite on a newly devolved role. In...

30th May, 2017

Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation

After months of worry, devolution’s loved ones finally got some news from Dr May. The patient, it turns out, isn’t terminal, but sadly there will be no return to the old, vibrant ways. Devolution has suffered ‘life-changing injuries’. The...

21st May, 2017

Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Politics

We need to talk about fiscal devolution. Fiscal devolution is an issue that national politicians won’t touch even with someone else’s bargepole. So scared are they of the electorate getting a whiff of the prospect of a tax increase,...

28th April, 2017

Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Finance • Local government finance

Yesterday NLGN hosted a roundtable with senior local government executives and a handful of academics to discuss ‘place based policy’ after Brexit. The starting point of the discussion was work by Will Jennings and Gerry Stoker of the University...

21st April, 2017

Brexit • Devolution • Local government finance

One entirely unforeseen consequence of last year’s referendum was the brakes being put on the devolution locomotive. Despite Government protestations to the contrary, May and Hammond have shown little of the true-believer enthusiasm exhibited by Cameron and Osborne. As...

19th April, 2017

Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Political Systems

Like it or not this will be the Brexit Election: a strange sort of quasi-referendum on the decision made in a previous referendum and everything that has happened since. But if that’s all this election ends up being about,...

18th April, 2017

Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation • Political Systems

The letter has been sent. The deed is done. But today is really just the beginning. Whether you are watching today’s events begrudging, jubilantly, with denial, or even boredom it is impossible to ignore the forceful eruption of a...

29th March, 2017

Brexit • Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation

Local government officials and to a degree local politicians are often praised for their realism. For example, in the light of sustained spending cuts local government since 2010 local government it is claimed has kept things going. Its key...

24th January, 2017

Brexit • Devolution • Devolution and reorganisation

Kindly supported by: Local government should have more powers to help tackle persistent unemployment: 98% of councils think that employment and skills provision should be locally commissioned. 80% of responding councils are already taking steps to improve employment and...

20th October, 2016

Devolution • Employment • Research Reports • Skills • Welfare