Labour’s school improvement missions need more than a London Challenge revival. The success of place-based school improvement depends on learning the right lessons from past reforms. www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/article/comm...

“They’re destroying more than fifty research facilities across thirty-one states, labs that house decades of irreplaceable long-term science…And they’re replacing all of it — the offices, the scientists, the institutional knowledge, the professional independence — with fifteen political appointees”

Our first panel is on 'Representation, responsiveness and participation' With papers from: @swannphil.bsky.social Ersi Cha Jianyu Hao Jiasi Zhou Chair: @jacknewman.bsky.social 📆 Mon 30th March 1.30pm St Catz Riverside Seminar Room A

Am looking forward to presenting early findings from my PhD on politicians and central-local government relations at #PSA26 next week. Focussing on the extent to which politicians deploy political capital to strengthen local govt. @psalocalpol.bsky.social

NALC invites parish and town councillors to shape the future of the 21st-century councillor www.nalc.gov.uk/resource/nal...

In the light of the appalling recent developments this begins to make sense. I always challenge conspiracy theories but….. www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-nort....

The first sentence of this statement is really interesting. McSweeney says he is resigning from the government. But he was not a member of the government: he was an adviser to it, albeit an important one. The govt comprises the cabinet and other ministers. Says it all? www.bbc.co.uk/news/live/c7...

An interesting reminder in this piece that John Smith had nothing to do with Mandelson while he was leader of the Labour Party. The fall of Peter Mandelson and the many questions the UK government must now answer theconversation.com/the-fall-of-...

Stepping Up…some historical reflections on the implications for central-local government relations of Andy Burnham’s bid to stand for Parliament. www.lgcplus.com/politics/lgc...

Spot on…. Words matter! giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... Carney, Trump and the power of a good speech

Spot on: giftarticle.ft.com/giftarticle/... The plot against London

Good to see my friend and former colleague Lee Shostak criticising the ambition of the government’s new towns programme. Key figures in creation of Milton Keynes criticise England’s new towns plan www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

The Covid Inquiry has missed vital lessons on how to make better decisions We have not learnt much that is new from the inquiry’s Module Two report, say @rebeccamckee.bsky.social and @alexgathomas.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/covi...

Interesting (and depressing?) that the status of the government’s mission boards is now unclear.

Absolutely…..

"Sir Keir told the BBC: 'Every minute that is spent talking about anything other than cost-of-living is a wasted minute in my book.'" OK, so why does his government keep banging on about immigration? www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

Reform has lost over 5% of councillors it had elected six months ago A @matildamartin.bsky.social deep dive into the councils won by Farage's party in May found what a local government expert called "unusual" levels of churn Exclusions, suspensions and resignations have taken place nationwide

In an earlier era the minister responsible would have resigned. A return to that principle may force ministers to fix our broken systems.

Sad to see that Rob Lane has died. I can remember working with him when I led on transport stuff at the AMA in the 1980s. Rob Lane obituary www.theguardian.com/politics/202...

A great choice…. www.bbc.co.uk/news/article...

This is a grim read. I stick to my view that the wilful blindness of the government to the financial crisis in local government will cost them their majority at the next election. Why not roll the dice for change when the local public realm is falling apart? www.theguardian.com/society/2025...

A piece of myth-busting essential reading…. on.ft.com/48sdQoR No need for a moral panic about the welfare system

Jean Payton Reid, architect and town planner (1917-97). Liberton Kirkyard, Edinburgh. Thought to have been Scotland's first female town planner. Family monument - pink granite obelisk. #31DaysOfGraves day 12 notable women. #herstory thepastandotherplaces.wordpress.com/2023/01/14/a...

Love this street name in Montréal…made even nicer by the fact it crosses a street named after JFK.

Some wise words from Andrew Marr in this week’s New Statesman magazine.newstatesman.com/2025/09/24/t...

Born #OTD 1665, John Hervey, 1st earl of Bristol. MP for Bury St. Edmunds for nine years, he was described as "preferring the environment of home or the race course" to Westminster in #HistParl's Commons 1690-1715 volumes. Read his full biography here: ow.ly/LwTI50T35kK

And the future of local government hinges on fundamentally reforming its financial systems!

Absolutely outrageous!

Car culture is insanity. Dad is 82, has stopped driving and sold the car. Last bit of admin was to cancel the AA. They tied to convince him he should continue driving. 🙃

This is a stunning exhibition. A must see! www.npg.org.uk/whatson/exhi...

Reform suspended one of the Kent County Councillors who was elected for the party in May, after 3 charges, including threatening to kill his wife + coercive behaviour. He denies the charges, and is now an independent councillor while the case + trial proceeds www.kentonline.co.uk/thanet/news/...

“It is estimated that there are around 7 million to 8 million people not correctly registered or missing from the registers entirely. This is not many less than the 9.7 million people whose votes gave the government a landslide majority.”

@swannphil.bsky.social‬ examines what happened to Missions in the spending review? inlogov.com/2025/06/26/t...

No10 has issued odd internal guidance banning officials speaking at public events It means more closed govt & worse policy decisions-the opposite of what ministers say they want From @drhannahwhite.bsky.social & me @instituteforgovernment.org.uk www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/gove...

What lessons are there from Blair’s delivery unit for the current government’s missions? Some thoughts in my INLOGOV blog inlogov.com

Great write up of @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social’s new report which shows local authorities have been forced to ration access to publicly funded care. This has created a damaging geographical and demographic ‘care gap’ Full report here: www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

@alexgathomas.bsky.social and I take a look into Georgia Gould's announcements last week and ask the question: what does this mean for the government's missions?

A worrying populist dimension to the already challenging central-local government relations. Well worth reading From LA to Paris, the populist right hates cities – and it’s fuelled by a sense of bitter defeat | Andy Beckett www.theguardian.com/commentisfre...

Yes, yes, yes! on.ft.com/4486HpF Healthcare policy is afflicted by short-sightedness

…. it would be interesting to know if ministers did actually look at the lessons from the experience of the GOs, and why think this things will be different this time around www.local-government.org.uk/library/2020...

New thing klaxon! How do you know if your organisation is mission-driven? Today we’re releasing a mission maturity framework I’ve co-authored with @danhonig.bsky.social and Vinuri Dissanaya at Georgetown Better Government Lab in collaboration with Nesta. Link: www.nesta.org.uk/report/on-mi.... 1/n

'About half of councils' income comes from central government and Rayner will announce plans for a new formula for allocating the money based on local needs, including population, poverty and age. This will lead to more cash going to deprived areas...'

Some actual 'levelling up' is on the way here (listen for the screams)... (£) www.thetimes.com/article/4677...

Slot machine firms target UK’s poorest areas and channel funds to billionaires

With local elections happening in many areas today, here's our earlier article on the complexities of 19th century municipal polls: victoriancommons.wordpress.com/2017/05/04/l...

An amazing resource….

Neil Barnett presenting on: 'The Growing Pains of Devolution in England: A Case Study of the Yorkshire and Humber region.' #PSA25

The first PSA Local Politics & Governance panel is getting underway at #PSA2025 @polstudiesassoc.bsky.social @psalocalpol.bsky.social 🪑 @ariannagiovannini.bsky.social 📄 Neil Barnett 📄 Georgina Blakeley 📄 @swannphil.bsky.social 📄 Jim Chandler @peckersley.bsky.social @tjarnold.bsky.social

Really enjoyed presenting early findings from my PhD research on the role of politicians in central-local government relations. Grateful for the insightful questions.