It offers the opportunity to devolve powers directly to county and unitary authorities – rather than imposing a one-size-fits-all Metro Mayor model.
Most Tory MPs either have no elections in their seats or only for a minority of their councillors, often in a minority of wards.
Some of the arguments for a directly elected or mayoral model seem to be set up against a straw man.
Powers over transport and infrastructure will help us shape the places of the future. Devolved skills budgets will get the support young people need.
The more radical his plans are, the more resistance there will be. But one can’t serve up a municipal omelette without breaking eggs.
Police and Crime Commissioner elections saw Conservative gains – well beyond reasonable expectations.
The third in a series of pieces on ConHome this week, looking forward to the elections this spring.
Working closer together is laudable. But the NHS could never replicate councils, with their links across the community.
You wouldn’t want your name to be changed against your will, and nobody voted for their history to be rewritten by bureaucrats.
Local identities matter. Rather than abolishing small local authorities, more power should be handed down to them.
Instead of the current patchwork system, a new more effective form of local governance is necessary to unlock regional growth.
As county areas are so diverse, with differing areas having particular needs, strengths, and weaknesses, a one-size-fits-all approach will not work
People feel very passionate about their towns. They do not get so excited about their County.
Counties are the most exposed to financial pressures, but the least resourced to deal with them. Rural residents are getting a raw deal.
Across the UK, over 6,631 people were sleeping rough in September 2022. This figure is growing; the Government must act if they are to keep their commitment to end rough sleeping by 2024.