March 21, 2019
Which taxes could be devolved to local government in England?
By Mike Suarez and Sharon Blain. What are the options for tax devolution in England and how much revenue could they generate?
Government and Public Services
From shaping strategy at the heart of government to delivering results on the frontline, keep up to date with the latest insights on the future of government and public services.
All articles
February 27, 2019
Mapping out the route to the ‘smart city’ vision
While technology brings us closer to the aspiration of a smart city providing ever more tailored and responsive services for citizens, it remains unclear how to make it a reality that works for everyone. Underpinning development towards a smart future is a reinvention of our transport service and the infrastructure that supports them.
February 12, 2019
How can councils help build the care workforce of the future?
By Emma Franklin and Matt Jones. With rising demand for adult social care and a deficit of up to 290,000 care workers by 2030, Emma Franklin and Matt Jones explore three questions councils should ask themselves if they're to build a care workforce for the future.
February 01, 2019
Five things topping the agenda for charities in 2019
By Aidan Sutton. What's topping the agenda for charities for 2019? From fundraising and finance, to Brexit and digital disruption, Aidan Sutton outlines key issues for charities in the year ahead.
December 18, 2018
Harvest what you sow - four ways to improve business engagement in future negotiations
Deal, or No Deal, let’s not forget that it’s business that trades. While government negotiates the future trade agreements, it’s business that delivers on the ambition of economic growth
December 04, 2018
Future Railways: What can the Williams Review achieve?
The key themes outlined in the Government’s 2017 Strategic Vision for Rail were a more reliable railway, an expanded network, a better deal for passengers, a modern workforce and a productive and innovative sector. One year on, Keith Williams has been tasked with recommending how to deliver the Government’s vision for a world-class railway. What can this review achieve?
November 27, 2018
Tax devolution: overdue or over-rated?
By Andy Theedom and Sharon Blain. Is tax devolution in England overdue or over-rated? We explore the options for local taxes, from stamp duty to income tax.
November 27, 2018
Buckle Up: Imagining a smarter future for transport
By Grant Klein, UK Road and Rail Leader New technologies, changing customer expectations and new business models are fundamentally changing how transport infrastructure is built, operated and maintained.
November 01, 2018
Be careful what you wish for? Will lifting the housing cap be enough to get Britain building?
By Mike Suarez. Local authorities, house builders and housing associations have been calling for the HRA cap to be lifted for many years, but will it be enough to address the UK housing challenge?
November 01, 2018
Good growth for cities: time to take the long view
By Jonathan House. With a decade worth of data, this year's Good Growth for Cities report looks back at the last ten years to uncover the fundamental drivers of growth.
October 25, 2018
When one size doesn’t fit all: Why we need a tailored and segmented approach to meeting the export challenge
By David Amstrong. When one size doesn’t fit all. David Armstrong explains why the UK needs a tailored and segmented approach to exporting.
October 19, 2018
It takes a village: How can councils and their partners create environments where children thrive?
By Jonathan House. How can councils work with partners to create a ‘village’ where children thrive? Leadership, collaborative working, making good use of data and evidence to tackle the drivers of demand and engaging with communities and families are all key.
October 05, 2018
Celebrating openness in reporting by charities
By Daniel Chan and David Hagger. By embracing openness in their reporting, charities can demonstrate their value to society and, ultimately, build public trust.
October 05, 2018
Public sector reporting continues to improve gradually, but a step change is what’s needed
By Lynn Pamment. By developing more engaging reporting, public sector organisations have the opportunity to tell their own story to the public, as well as other stakeholders. At root, this comes down to demonstrating and communicating impact and value for money in an open, balanced and engaging way.
October 03, 2018
Spending Review 2019: this time can it be different?
What will it take for the 2019 Spending Review to help underpin a renewed and reinvigorated public service ready to take the country beyond Brexit?
October 01, 2018
Creating places and opportunities for everyone
By Jonathan House. How can we create places and opportunities for everyone? Leadership and a credible shared plan are key, says Jonathan House in his blog from Conservative Party Conference in Birmingham.
September 27, 2018
This party conference season let’s also think about issues other than Brexit
By Quentin Cole. The news agenda is dominated by Brexit machinations, yet there are big questions beyond the UK's exit from the EU that must not be ignored. Quentin Cole sets out the other issues that should be top of mind this party conference season.
September 26, 2018
Reporting in charities: the views of the ‘People’s Panel’
By Daniel Chan It should go without saying that any discussion about public trust needs to put the views of the public front and centre....
September 18, 2018
Is the Fair Funding Review asking the right questions?
By Andy Theedom The Fair Funding Review aims to develop an improved assessment of councils’ spending needs and revenue-raising capacities to inform a new system...
September 17, 2018
Are the times a-changin’ for public sector collections?
By Niall Cooter An article in The Times last week reported that “Councils (and Government departments) are worse than pay-day lenders”, citing aggressive and unfair...
