Devolution looks like centralisation
Wishing you a healthy and successful 2025!
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Laying bare the financial challenges
In November, we welcomed the great and the good of the local government world to Buckinghamshire, for the County Councils Network’s (CCN’s) Annual Conference 2024. We met in Marlow under dramatically different political circumstances compared with recent history. But while it is all change in the composition of MPs in the Commons, CCN’s approach to advocacy has not changed.
Rural prosperity requires fair funding
Recent Budget announcements have left many in rural areas feeling overlooked.
The power of accurate addressing
At the LGA’s annual conference in October, GeoPlace was joined by Nottingham City Council in the Innovation Zone, to demonstrate the immense value that data on addresses can bring to local government.
Improving educational outcomes for care leavers
Young people with care backgrounds are a priority group for targeted support to increase their access to further and higher education.
Addressing health inequalities to tackle STIs
The rise in sexually transmitted infections (STIs) is a major and increasing public health concern.
Investing in prevention
The Government’s finance policy statement, published in late November, outlined its intentions for the provisional local government finance settlement for 2025/26.
Councils let down by funding system
The local government funding reforms announced on 28 November are welcome.
Ministers don’t get it on National Insurance
My preliminary discussions with council leaders over recent weeks, ahead of February budget setting, continually brings to bear the reality of the Labour Government’s seismic increase to employer National Insurance contributions.
Don’t lose the ‘local’ in local government
As first was going to press, we were awaiting a delayed white paper on devolution. The Government’s intentions may be to decentralise power, but I am concerned that some of its proposals will undermine local democracy, rather than empower it.