Tag: Local government

In collaboration with The Joseph Rowntree Foundation, we have developed a framework to support local areas to make progress towards designing out the most severe forms of hardship.

10th May, 2023

Central government • Community Power • Local government • Participation and co-production • poverty • Public Services

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

Hear why we think Stronger Things might just be the most valuable eight hours of your year.

21st April, 2023

Central government • Community Power • Health and social care • Local government • Public Services • Stronger Things

Leading under pressure needs to become a discipline in itself, argues Adam Lent.

17th April, 2023

Central government • Community Power • Leadership • Local government • Public Services

About the project New Local supported Wokingham Borough Council to shape its Programme around Community and Partnerships. This involved assessing its current position, identifying future aspirations, and shaping the tools […]

3rd April, 2023

Community engagement • Community Power • Local government

Imran Hashmi unpacks the relationship between economic growth and wellbeing, arguing that local people should be at the heart of decisions about economic policy in their area.

9th March, 2023

Community Power • Economy and business • Local government • Policy • Wellbeing

Ben Hughes from Essex County Council shares his experience of setting up the Essex Recovery Foundation and putting the community at the heart of service design.

15th February, 2023

Commissioning and Procurement • Community engagement • Community Power • Local government • Public Services

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

Councils want high streets thriving for local benefit. Asset owners need exciting, impact-driven ideas for underused and vacant buildings. Communities have amazing ideas for their neighbourhoods, but struggle to access […]

20th January, 2023

Interview • Local government • Practice

Rough sleeping is a real and heart-breaking challenge facing councils up and down the country. Providing safe and secure homes is transformational for those living on the streets. At this […]

20th January, 2023

Community Power • Local government • Practice

Labour need to think beyond the boundaries of normal institutional reform and turbocharge the imaginative change already happening on the ground, writes Adam Lent.

17th January, 2023

Central government • Community Power • Engagement • Local government

What is the Community Wealth Fund, and what would it mean for local authorities? Polly Lord talks to Matt Leach, CEO of Local Trust, about the campaign.

16th December, 2022

Community Power • Local government • Local government finance

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

With a difficult winter looming, councils are searching for innovative ways to support their residents. In our latest ‘How We Did It’, Alison Dunn of Gateshead Council shares her experience of setting up a coordinated warm spaces project.

22nd November, 2022

Charities • Community engagement • Council Voices • Interview • Local government • Poverty and inequality • Powerful Communities

New Local has been working with Islington Borough Council’s Inequality Taskforce to launch a bold new approach to tackling inequality in one of London’s most deprived boroughs. We spoke to the taskforce members to explain their approach, and the...

18th November, 2022

Community engagement • Community Power • Inequality • Local government • Poverty and inequality

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

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

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

Warwickshire County Council came to New Local with a big ambition: to create a community powered county.

10th November, 2022

Community engagement • Community Power • Local government • Strategy and 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

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 places.

30th September, 2022

Budgeting • Central government • Economy and business • Levelling Up • Local government

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

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 think differently about public services and policy development. No matter...

4th August, 2022

Community engagement • Community Power • Local government

Communities want to have more influence over the issues they face, the challenges they want to overcome, and the services they use. This report sets out the passion for that change.

4th August, 2022

Community engagement • Community Power • Community Voices • Local government

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

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

The full text of the speech delivered by Angela Rayner at New Local's Stronger Things 2022 at the Guildhall, London on 29 March.

4th April, 2022

Community Power • Leadership • Local government • Politics

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

CitizenLab share their top tips for community engagement and explain the value of a dedicated digital engagement team.

17th March, 2022

Community Cohesion • Events • Local government • Participation and co-production • Public Services • Stronger Things

Interview with Waltham Forest's Laura Butterworth on lessons learnt from hosting a citizens' assembly.

28th February, 2022

Citizens Assemblies • Community engagement • Council Voices • Crime and justice • Events • Local government

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 to collaborate.

10th February, 2022

Community Power • Covid-19 • Local government • Research Reports • Third sector and civil society

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 […]

2nd February, 2022

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

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

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

Chris Clarke of HOPE Not Hate introduces a new tool to help councils find and secure funds for community cohesion projects.

24th January, 2022

Charities • Community Cohesion • Local government • Local government finance

Bonnie Hewson explores how co-production can help rebuild trust between councils and communities.

10th November, 2021

Community Cohesion • Community engagement • Council Voices • Local government • Local government reform

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

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

Looking more closely at the detail beneath the positive Budget headlines.

28th October, 2021

Finance • Local government • Local government finance • Policy • 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

Mark Green, from the award-winning Local Data Spaces project, looks at how to improve data sharing to increase impact in your area.

25th October, 2021

Data • Local government • Local government finance • Public Services

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 their work. As society takes steps towards ‘normality’, we ask...

4th August, 2021

Council Voices • Covid-19 • Local government

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 services. Luckily, Jessica Studdert is on-hand to shed a light...

23rd July, 2021

Explainer • Local government • Local government finance • Local government reform • Long read

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

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 conflict? And does this modish form of community power have...

11th May, 2021

Citizens Assemblies • Community engagement • Community Power • Democracy • Local government • Long read

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

Community Power: The Evidence is the first research to take a comprehensive view of what community power looks like - featuring examples from across the UK and internationally. It is also the first to collect and analyse existing...

23rd February, 2021

Community Power • Community Power The Evidence • Local government • Monitoring and Evaluation

How to build relationships with Whitehall and present persuasive evidence to civil servants.

22nd February, 2021

Central government • Community Power • Local government • Members • Partnerships

Avoiding a drift back to old norms and ways of working, addressing exclusion and preserving accountability.

15th February, 2021

Community Power • Culture • Local government • Local government reform • Members • Strategy and leadership