From firefighting to reform Revenues and benefits at the edge of another year of change At the final Independent R&B Monday Discussion Group before the summer break, practitioners reflected on tight budgets, difficult system…
Housing pressure, local government reorganisation and public trust A narrative account of the discussion held on 20 July 2026, chaired by Malcolm Gardner A discussion that began with homeless households being placed hundreds of…
Is history trying to repeat itself? The names and boundaries may be changing, but the struggle to balance strategic scale with local identity is remarkably familiar. The short version: 2026 is not simply 1974…
The Monday Discussion Group considers what a Burnham government might mean for local taxation, welfare delivery and local government reform The prospect of an Andy Burnham-led government presents an intriguing question for local government:…
The latest Monday Independent Revenues and Benefits Discussion Group opened in familiar style, with Malcolm Gardner easing the group into the session through light conversation about the recent heatwave and the programme of conferences…