Insights archive
The Independent Revenues and Benefits Monday Discussion Group returned from its summer break with three subjects which, at first sight, had very little in common: the collapse of Whyte & Co, the growing debate…
Read articleThe 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:…
Read articleThere is a familiar rhythm to British public policy. A popular campaigner identifies a real unfairness. Ministers sense an easy win. Special advisers spot a headline. A complex administrative system is reduced to a…
Read articleThe latest Monday Discussion Group opened with Malcolm Gardner posing a stark question: is the temporary accommodation crisis mainly a housing supply problem or a financial systems problem? The answer from the panel was…
Read articleThe latest Independent Revenues and Benefits Monday Discussion Group took the Chancellor’s Spring Statement as its starting point and asked a simple question: what does it really mean when viewed from the frontline of…
Read articleIndependent Revenues & Benefits Monday Discussion Group10 November 2025 The latest Monday Discussion Group, chaired by Malcolm Gardner, explored pension credit take-up, changes to notional pension income rules, and the real impact of the…
Read articleIndependent R&B Monday Discussion Group – 20 October 2025 The latest Independent R&B discussion opened with Malcolm Gardner wryly noting that the week’s agenda looked like “a bit of a hodgepodge”—ranging from procurement headaches…
Read articleAt 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…
Read article1 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…
Read articleThe 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…
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