Mario Creatura: In defence of the ‘professional politician’
21
Nov
You wouldn’t go under anaesthetic if the surgeon were doing it as a hobby. There is a reason why a substantial number of MPs start life as councillors.
Category Archives: Local Government
Shona Haslam: The fight for Lanark and Hamilton East is only going to get colder
20
Nov
The Scottish Conservatives do need to build up our activist base. The SNP has been effective in building a loud and bold campaigning force.
Selaine Saxby: In North Devon there is great concern about traffic congestion on local roads
19
Nov
Local hotels, restaurants, and tourist attractions would all benefit from a cut in VAT. This is something that we can seriously look at once we have left the EU.
Izzi Seccombe: A Labour Government would fail to provide the support that councils need
18
Nov
Labour MPs voted against the local government finance settlement. They would also scrap Ofsted, increase taxes, and delay Brexit.
Council by-election results from yesterday and forthcoming contests
15
Nov
The Conservatives lost seats to the Lib Dems in Eden and Tunbridge Wells. But the Conservatives gained a seat from the Lib Dems in Torbay.
Large towns are offering a route to Conservative revival. How can we return the favour?
15
Nov
Gimmicks and bribes are not the answer. Prosperity will be achieved if free entreprise is allowed to thrive.
David Simmonds: I am a supporter of railways, but HS2 is a misguided scheme
13
Nov
The current expensive disruptive route, and the neglect of decrepit local transport, are unacceptable.
Peter Golds: The Electoral Commission has rewritten the law to make it difficult to investigate vote fraudsters
12
Nov
It has, without consultation or a change in the law, slammed shut the principal way that investigating corruption of the register may be properly conducted.
Gary Sambrook: Six years as a councillor gives me an advantage in standing for Parliament
12
Nov
In Birmingham, the Labour council is adamant about introducing its hated Congestion Charge; which will hit the poorest the hardest.
John Bald: A new approach is needed to sort out the mess of special needs provision
11
Nov
A global approach to quite different challenges has failed. A long-term decline in specialised teaching skills must be reversed.
Judy Terry: How councils can do more to attract inward investment
8
Nov
Regulations should be applied lightly and Business Rates cut. Improving transport links must be championed.
Matthew Barber: How catching drug dealers cuts crime more generally
7
Nov
A string of bicycle thefts could be a coordinated plan, with those stealing the bikes paid with a small amount of Class A drugs.
Shrobona Bhattacharya: Strengthening community cohesion in Cambridgeshire
6
Nov
The Council and local charities work together to defeat loneliness and social isolation
Brenda Burgess: Being a councillor is about being absorbed in community life
5
Nov
So much of the role is apolitical. Arts projects for schools. Honouring local heroes. Planting flowers and removing weeds.
Marc Jones: Safeguarding the British way of life means protecting the countryside
4
Nov
It is rural England that forms the bedrock of Conservatism. But we must not take its support for granted.
Council by-election results from this week and forthcoming contests
1
Nov
The Conservatives gained a seat from Labour in Worcestershire. The Conservatives also held a seat in Windsor and Maidenhead.
Peter Golds: Once again, Tower Hamlets is in the news for chaos and corruption
1
Nov
Labour claims to be concerned about what they call “voter suppression.” They should sort out their own Party.
Gareth Lyon: By professionalising councillors, we are repeating Parliament’s mistake at a local level
31
Oct
Ever greater state funding is being followed by ever greater statism in political thought – and the decline of independent thought.
John Bald: Children are being indoctrinated about the legal system
29
Oct
A feminist account declares that judges “decide our laws”. There is no mention of parliament.
Shaun Bailey: Delaying Brexit is a useful distraction for the Mayor of London
28
Oct
I am determined to refocus the conversation: to how we bring crime levels down; and build the homes we desperately need.
Council by-election results from yesterday
25
Oct
The Conservatives gained a seat from Labour in Daventry. But the Conservatives lost a seat to the Lib Dems in Powys.
Mimi Harker: Councillors can help the Conservative Party adapt to the less deferential age of social media
25
Oct
Politics has changed. Elected members need to champion the community. Being aloof is no longer tolerated.
Matthew Barber: We don’t have a system to adequately investigate and prosecute fraud
23
Oct
In Thames Valley we have had some groundbreaking investigations. But there are too many agencies with overlapping responsibilities.
Jack Airey: How to unleash the power of the Union 2) Infrastructure can reinforce the United Kingdom
23
Oct
Upgrading the UK’s infrastructure is an opportunity to bind places closer through trains and trade.
Susan Hall: The Prime Minister is serious about defeating the drugs gangs. But the Mayor of London is not.
22
Oct
Thousands of teenagers are exploited through County Lines. The Metropolitan Police force area is the largest exporting hub to the rest of the country.
James Halden: The Conservatives are delivering for Thurrock
22
Oct
We made savings which allowed us to create news teams. These work with all schools to spread tested practices to support good mental wellbeing.
John Myers: Blair is still refusing to apologise for holding down the housing supply
21
Oct
The former Prime Minister pretends the threefold rise in house prices during his term in office was inevitable. Not so.
Melanie Hampton: It’s the small things that provide satisfaction in being a councillor
18
Oct
You may smile; how can this woman take such pride in providing a bin at a bus stop? Well, she does.
UK’s sub-national institutions are largely unprepared for the post-Brexit reality
18
Oct
How do British cities deal with Brexit? In this blog, Robert Gawłowski explains that it is without any doubt that UK local authorities have been left entirely alone in the process. Without any regulations that would encourage the cities to engage in the Brexit process, the vast majority of them have only taken limited actions, such as collecting information about possible outcomes […]
Tim Briggs: Why London is mostly a left-wing city
17
Oct
People who aspire to own their own homes move out of London to where property is cheaper.