Newly-created English unitary councils should give digital leaders a seat at the top table for council decision-making to deliver the dividends of local government reorganisation – or risk derailing the agenda for devolution and public service reform, a study published today by the think-tank Localis has argued. Commissioned by global Software as a Service (SaaS) company TechnologyOne, the […]
Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran, said: Mansion Tax “The imposition of a high value ‘Mansion Tax’ surcharge on properties worth more than £2 million, although it promises to bring in some £400m annually from 2028, raises a serious moral point about the justification for taxing only one subset of properties at current property values, leaving […]
Council finance directors need greater institutional support to balance their responsibilities for attracting large-scale private investment with their onerous legal financial management duties, if the government’s national plan for growth is to succeed, a report from the think-tank Localis has argued. In a paper issued today entitled “Ride the wave – balancing investment risk and […]
English councils must repurpose their annual £127bn spend on goods and services to achieve broader economic, social, and environmental ends, a new report from the think-tank Localis has argued. The report entitled ‘New values, new landscape: public contracts for social prosperity – 2025 update’ suggests there remains large scope for local government to redirect and […]
Government must restore the public’s diminishing faith in democracy by embracing community power and placing strategic authorities under the legal obligation to co-produce decisions with residents, the think-tank Localis has argued. In a paper published today entitled “Centralisation, Local Decline and the Future of Community Power”, Localis argues that to counter than populist anger and […]
The government must make sure that plans to decentralise employment support to help get Britain back to work don’t open up a north-south divide in regional economic performance, a new report from Localis has advised. The warning is contained in a new research report from the think-tank entitled ‘Guarantee of potential: place-based employment support within […]
Localis, the independent think tank of place, has announced the appointment of Darren Rodwell as the new chair of its board, replacing Sir Merrick Cockell who is standing down from the role after seventeen years’ dedicated service. Darren Rodwell, the former leader of Barking and Dagenham Council, joined the board of Localis in August 2023. […]
Local democracy is at risk from the potential loss of 90 per cent of councillors in shire areas in the process of local government reorganisation, leading academic experts have argued in an essay published by Localis today. The finding is contained in a new ideas paper by the think-tank entitled “Reorganisation, local government and the […]
Localis chief executive, Jonathan Werran, said: “Local government and the local state will take some initial heart from the central thrust of the spending review, especially the promised land of multi-year settlements, improved needs assessments and simplified funding landscape to return local government to a sustainable financial position. This will provide the sector with greater […]
Localis lead researcher, Sandy Forsyth, said: “The requirement for Administering Authorities (AAs) and pools to work with local authorities, regional mayors, strategic authorities and Welsh Authorities on local growth plans is welcome, as is the news that the National Wealth Fund (NWF) will work in partnership with the LGPS in support of strategic objectives for […]