Insights archive
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…
Read articleHousing 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…
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 articleThe 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…
Read articleThis week’s Independent Revenues and Benefits Monday Discussion Group focused mainly on the political consequences of the local elections and what they may mean for councils, officers, local welfare policy and Revenues and Benefits…
Read articleMalcolm Gardner, Visionary Network Ltd The local election results were not simply a bad night for some parties and a good night for others. They were a warning about the fragility of 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 articleRecurring digital payments have quietly become a fixed feature of household finances across the UK, Europe and the United States. For revenues and benefits services, understanding their scale, their cross-national consistency — and their…
Read articleThe Independent Revenues and Benefits Monday Discussion Group on 30 March ranged across three familiar but connected themes: supported housing, local government reorganisation and the latest poverty figures. What tied the conversation together was…
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