Equal partners
These are unprecedented times in which to conduct a Comprehensive Spending Review (CSR) and the Chancellor has already delayed his Budget.
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Time to revitalise rural areas
The key messages from last month’s annual National Rural Conference were loud and clear: the importance of rural areas to the national economy and ‘revitalising rural’.
Looking ahead to the party conferences
Following recent ministerial changes at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government, I would like to congratulate Luke Hall MP on his appointment as Regional Growth and Local Government Minister and welcome Kelly Tolhurst MP to the team as Parliamentary Under Secretary of State for Rough Sleeping and Housing.
A prime minister in waiting
Although very low on the list of sacrifices that coronavirus has forced on people, I was sorry not to have my annual catch-up with local government friends and colleagues from across the UK at the Labour Party Conference.
Repurposing historic buildings
The continuing decline of the high street has been hurried along by the COVID-19 crisis. But in Great Yarmouth, a dynamism and willingness to be innovative, supported by the Architectural Heritage Fund, is helping buck the trend and creating jewels from treasured community assets.
Test and trace is a joke
As I predicted, test and trace has become a joke in many parts of the country.
Deliver on devolved powers and money
September began with a growing number of challenges marching towards us – a forced reorganisation, planning numbers that make little sense, sweeping changes to the planning system that fail to address any current problems in the system, the ongoing fight for funding, a care crisis, climate emergency – and all at a time of a pandemic.
Time for change
Together with a number of Labour councillors in Birmingham, I wrote to the Prime Minister in June, urging him to rethink plans for a new government commission on racial inequalities in response to issues highlighted by the Black Lives Matter protests and, instead, to act now on the detailed findings of previous reviews.
The power of place
With the prospect of local government reorganisation and an overhaul of the planning system alongside responsibility for local outbreak management, the public sector can be forgiven for thinking it has a lot on its plate.
An old solution to today’s housing needs
While most people are aware of the traditional and fine almshouse buildings dotted all over the UK, few know exactly what they are or realise how vibrant the almshouse movement is today.