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Building social housing is good for the economy – and even the City knows it
Homes for low-income families are desperately needed, but housebuilding is also a surefire way to promote growthWhen the City attacks the shameful housing record of a Conservative-led government that...
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The transfer of NHS assets to a central company marks the end of localism
Government proposals to create an independent NHS property company signals a U-turn towards a new muscular centralismIt is two years since a new prime minister was welcomed by the community secretary,...
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The Countryside Alliance cares for liberty but not livelihoods | Peter...
Ten years after the creation of the Countryside Alliance, it seems the hunting lobby care little for those suffering a real rural crisisTen years ago, the hills of Britain glowed with 500 beacons to...
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Goodbye to localism as government tightens grip on local councils
With council tax effectively frozen by the central government for two years, local councils are having a hard time raising cashTown halls have precious little room for manoeuvre as they face a further...
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Johann Lamont: Facing up to Scotland's 'stark choice'
Scotland's Labour leader wants free healthcare, not the independence debate, to dominate the political agendaWhen Johann Lamont, Scotland's Labour leader, called for a mature debate on the funding of...
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Lord Heseltine's vision had already been rejected by Osborne
Proposals from Lord Heseltine for devolution of money and power to the regions will receive short shrift from the governmentSenior government ministers had already answered a central thrust of Lord...
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Police and crime commissioners lack enough guidance to do their jobs
The new police commissioners will have their work cut out, with setting a budget and appointing a chief constable their prioritiesBehind the sound and fury over the botched election process for 41...
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Local enterprise partnerships: a hopeful sign or a threat to local democracy?
Let's hope local democracy benefits from what appears to be George Osborne's support of Heseltine's proposal to boost local funding powersIs the economic map of England changing, with significant...
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England's housing crisis is being ignored by politicians | Peter Hetherington
The country is facing a housing crisis comparable to the early postwar years, when the 50s equivalent of 'sofa surfing' became a necessity. Why aren't alarm bells ringing in No 10?Good news for those...
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Cities' plans for more efficient public spending could be thwarted by cuts |...
Big cities want to join up their programmes to save billions of pounds. But the impact of cuts could cancel out any gainsEngland's major cities are on the march, challenging the government, if not...
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England's cities are being sold short, and council leaders' patience has...
Money for services other than social care will have dried up by the end of this decade, a group of England's major cities warnsEngland's major cities face an unprecedented financial crisis. In this...
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Is this the end of Cameron's big society?
Hard-pressed charities say government spending cuts are putting paid to the prime minister's flagship policyThis month, a charity on Teesside offering emergency accommodation for homeless young people...
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Letter: Bruce Millan was quietly impressive and much admired
Bruce Millan was that rarity among the ministerial class: a secretary of state (for Scotland) who could not be wrong-footed on the finer detail of a Scottish Office budget, down to the minutiae of the...
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Budget 2013: will George Osborne fix England's deepening housing crisis? |...
An emergency building programme is needed to kickstart growth, but with housing 'starts' falling by 11% last year, the chancellor has got his work cut outAnother budget and another string of measures...
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Who will lead the renaissance for rural communities? | Peter Hetherington
With the Commission for Rural Communities gone, we must look again at the prospects for country areasWho cares for the countryside? You might think that the rural statement from the Department for the...
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Sir Albert Bore, leader of Birmingham council, fights to prevent cuts
The leader of Birmingham city council says entire services face the axe, yet Eric Pickles refuses to negotiateIn a political career stretching back 30 years, Sir Albert Bore, 66, can recall Birmingham...
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How will Ukip cope with the reality of county halls? | Peter Hetherington
England's local government is a confusing patchwork, and there are deeper spending cuts to come. The anti-EU party must prepare for power-broking and budget-settingPut aside for a moment the shock...
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Jane Scott, leader of Wiltshire council: 'The cuts have been manageable' |...
Jane Scott says the local authority's unitary status has allowed it to maintain frontline servicesSix years ago, Jane Scott, Conservative leader of the former Wiltshire county council, was hauled to...
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Time for Pickles to abolish his own job | Peter Hetherington
Analysis will show that Pickles' department should be merged with business to form a Department for National and Local Development that will give councils greater economic freedomIf Eric Pickles...
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Mitchell Silver: Redesigning the way we live
A leading US planner wants to put people, fairness and creativity at the heart of a reinvigorated planning profession in EnglandMidway through his term as president of the American Planning Association...
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