When Reform UK swept to power in several county councils earlier this year, Nigel Farage hailed their victories as a “tectonic shift in British politics.” Kent, in particular, became the test bed for what Reform called a new era of efficiency — modelled on the “chainsaw” approach of Elon Musk’s Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)….
Category: Administration
Reform, Robots and Reality: The Monday Discussion Group Takes on Property Tax and AI
It was a damp Yorkshire morning when Malcolm Gardner opened the latest Independent Revenues & Benefits Monday Discussion Group, musing that his wife had suggested mowing the grass in the drizzle — a comment that drew knowing laughter from the regulars logging in from across the country. Once the coffee cups were raised and the…
Independent R&B Discussion Group: Benefits, Work and the Future Workforce
At the latest Independent R&B Monday Discussion Group, chaired by Malcolm Gardner, members took a deep dive into the stubborn issue of unclaimed benefits, the challenges of Universal Credit, and the shifting dynamics of the local government workforce. Billions Unclaimed Malcolm opened with the headline finding from Policy in Practice: £24 billion in benefits goes…
Monday Discussion Group Returns: From Reshuffles to Rents and AI
The Independent Revenues & Benefits Monday Discussion Group was back on 8 September, with Malcolm Gardner welcoming everyone after the summer break. Smiles all round, though the mood paused for a moment as Malcolm paid tribute to Leigh Barber from NEC, who recently passed away after a long battle with cancer. Leigh’s determination and his…
Mid-Break Highlights from the Independent Revenues & Benefits Discussion Group
1 September 2025 We’re on our summer pause, so instead of a live session this week we’ve shared the second mid-break slide pack. It’s a chance to catch up on what’s happening across revenues and benefits while we recharge. We’ll be back together on Monday 8 September. So, what’s inside this week’s pack? Plenty to…
Revenues and Benefits Discussion Group – August 2025 Highlights
There is no session this week as the summer break continues on the meantime here is a summary of what has been happening over the last two weeks. The group will return on Monday 8 September. Welfare and Sickness Trends Nearly 2.8 million people are now out of work due to long-term sickness, pushing the…
Terminal Illness Exemption and Innovation Squads Under Scrutiny in R&B Discussion Group
The Independent Revenues & Benefits Discussion Group met on 21 July 2025 to reflect on two significant developments: the proposed council tax exemption for terminally ill residents and the government’s investment in local service “innovation squads.” Exempting the Terminally Ill: Well-Meaning but Misplaced? Malcolm Gardner opened the meeting by highlighting a campaign led by Marie…
Local Government’s Breaking Point: Financial Fragility, Workforce Decline, and the Failure to Focus on Outcomes
Summary of the Independent Revenues & Benefits Discussion Group – 14 July 2025 At the most recent Independent Revenues & Benefits (R&B) Discussion Group, chaired by Malcolm Gardner, local government professionals gave a sobering assessment of the sector’s current state. With escalating financial deficits, an ageing and shrinking workforce, and new pressures from political reforms,…
Tensions in Council Tax Collection: Balancing Policy, Affordability, and Public Perception
Revenues and Benefits Discussion Group 7 July 2024 At the latest meeting of the Independent Revenues & Benefits (R&B) Group, members grappled with a familiar but still unresolved dilemma: how to reconcile the administrative and political pressures of council tax collection with the realities of household poverty, affordability, and fairness. Council Tax Write-Offs and Public…
The Case for Plain English Council Tax Reduction Schemes
By Paul Howarth Councils across England face an increasingly complex set of challenges as they seek to manage their council tax reduction (CTR) schemes. Alongside financial pressures and the final stages of Universal Credit migration, local government reorganisation is driving an urgent need for simplification, consistency, and transparency. At the centre of this lies one…