Mayor of London, Sadiq Khan

🗣️ Sarah Neville at the Financial Times reports Liberal Democrats leader Sir Ed Davey has called on the government to seek “a cross-party solution” to the crisis in social care, declaring he is “ready to sit down with ministers and start those talks wherever, whenever.” 🤝 Reports suggest Labour is planning to set up a Royal Commission in an effort to find a consensus, although insiders suggested no final decisions had been taken about the best way to proceed. But over the past quarter century, UK governments have failed to find a durable way forward for a care system facing a chronic funding shortfall and a recruitment and retention crisis writ large in a one in ten vacancy rate. 💡 Years of debate also preceded a decision to change the structure of long-term care provision in the Netherlands, according to Nick Zonneveld, a senior researcher at Vilans, the country’s centre of excellence in long-term and social care. Since 2015, the emphasis has been moving people out of big institutions to be cared for in the community or their homes. #adultsocialcare #carereform #policyconsensus https://lnkd.in/eYEB_HRb

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🚨📰🚨📰🚨 In my latest Local Government Chronicle Briefing for Localis we argue the devolution agenda must be grounded in the reality of resource and capacity at local and regional level. 🆙The UK government is pushing for devolution and reorganisation, with plans to shift strategic planning upwards to combined authority level. 📈This has sparked debate about the balance between local democracy and efficient planning. 🔜The government's intentions on power transfer and financial governance are expected to be detailed next week in the upcoming English Devolution White Paper and the 2025 Comprehensive Spending Review. 🤔However, this ambitious agenda must be grounded in the reality of available resources and recognise the English local government workforce has shrunk significantly since 2010, leading to capacity constraints and a loss of experienced staff. 📉This depletion of resources and trained and skilled staff poses a significant challenge to meeting the increasing demands in local service areas. Our report last week "Restoration and Resilience" for South East Councils South East Employersproposed several strategies to address this workforce crisis, including: * Collaborative training programs * Shared frameworks for recruiting temporary staff * Joint procurement for training or specialist local authority outplacement services * Strategic and integrated workforce planning * Better succession planning and workforce analysis * Workforce flexibility, such as four-day work weeks Despite the importance of workforce capacity and capability, these issues are often overlooked in discussions about devolution. What we talk about when we talk about devolution isn't really staffing and resourcing in the new age or a trained professional cadre to vouchsafe financial governance complex single settlements - as we argued in our recent report with Grant Thornton UK LLP 'Present Tense: renewing and reforming local government finance'. This brings into question how combined authorities will be adequately resourced to handle the increased responsibilities and financial governance demands. Regardless of future structures, the success of devolution and public service reform hinges on a capable and dynamic local government workforce. So its incumbent on the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government Workforce Development Group and the sector to proactively address the workforce challenges of the emerging local and regional future. 👏👏 many thanks Kirsty Weakley 👏👏

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#Budget2024 is taking place today. We're looking for measures to address the crisis in #localgov finances. Restoring stability to boroughs' budgets is an essential step for the government on the path to achieving its national missions. https://lnkd.in/eypUKYvX

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The government promises the 'most ambitious' programme of devolution England has ever seen. But these ambitions depend on fixing local government funding first. Failure to do so risks deepening inequalities and undermining the benefits of devolution. Important 🆕 piece from the Institute For Fiscal Studies' David Phillips on why funding reform matters and what needs to happen next. https://lnkd.in/eM9heCAq #LocalGov #LocalGovernmentFinance #Devolution #CouncilFinanceSystem

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Town hall finances across the capital are under massive and unsustainable pressure. In particular, skyrocketing #homelessness costs are a major concern. Fixing the crisis in #localgov funding must be a priority for #Budget2024. As Cllr Claire Holland, Chair of London Councils, says: “Boroughs find themselves in a dire financial situation. Fourteen years of structural underfunding, combined with fast-rising demand for services and inflated costs, have left borough finances in a state of crisis. “Housing and homelessness pressures in the capital are astronomical. If things carry on as they are, boroughs will be tipped over the edge into effective bankruptcy, requiring costly interventions from central government to balance the books. “Stabilising local government finances should be a clear Budget priority. Boroughs are critical to delivering new homes and driving economic growth, working in partnership with the government. Putting councils on a stable financial footing is an essential step for the government on the path to achieving its national missions.” Read our statement here: https://lnkd.in/eypUKYvX

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CBE JU 2025 Work Programme is Published! The CBE JU 2025 Work Programme will cover 13 topics with a total projected budget of €165 million. The call will open for applications on 4 April 2025, with a deadline of 17 September 2025. It is also planned to hold the Info Day in Brussels on 3 April 2025.  IA-flagship Calls: Urban-industrial symbiosis for bio-waste valorisation Bio-based drop-ins/smart drop-in platform chemicals, via cost-effective, sustainable and resource-efficient conversion of biomass Circular-by-design fibre-based packaging with improved properties Retrofitting of (bio)refineries industrial plants towards higher-value bio-based products IA Calls: Sustainable macroalgae systems for innovative, added-value applications: cultivation and optimised production systems Safe and Sustainable by Design (SSbD) bio-based solutions to replace hazardous conventional chemicals for textiles production Scaling-up nutritional proteins from alternative sources Cost-effective and robust continuous biotech bio-based processes SSbD bio-based polymers/copolymers unlocking new market applications RIA Calls: Valorisation of untapped forest biomass Bio-based and biodegradable delivery systems for fertilising products to reduce microplastics pollution & promote soil health Alternative biomanufacturing routes for natural and synthetic rubber CSA Calls: Develop and deploy new curricula and knowledge exchange practices relevant to bio-based systems Learn more: https://lnkd.in/d3dvHt3A #CBE #CircularBiobasedEurope #CBECalls #HorizonEurope #EUGrants #Biobased #BiobasedIndustry

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🚨 Non-payment of council tax has risen to an alarming level in recent years. We need to raise council tax collection standards to prevent driving the vulnerable deeper into debt. 📚Read the recommendations in our report, Still Collecting Dust👇 https://lnkd.in/eBmHGg52

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We’re really proud to have supported The Centre for Social Justice on such an important report. As part of our mission to make credit work better for all we have been strong supporters of their debt unit for many years. During that time, we’ve seen first-hand how damaging council tax debt can be for people in vulnerable situations. We welcome the CSJ’s decision to focus on these issues in their new report. We strongly support their calls to: - Put the enforcement conduct board on a statutory footing - Amend the legislation around council tax to ensure better treatment for people in debt - Stop using enforcement agents for people with a council tax reduction Council tax debt can be a minefield, but higher standards and fairer collection could make a world of difference. To find out more about Lowell’s policy asks for the new Government click the link https://lnkd.in/eiXdcmE8 #fairerdebtfairersociety #problemdebt #financialvulnerability

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Grassroots approaches to kickstarting economic growth At the end of last week the government published their Plan for Change – Milestones for Mission-Led Government Plan for Change (https://lnkd.in/etu68vSu), which set out the ambition to ‘Kickstart Economic Growth’ and deliver rising living standards in all parts of the UK. We are committed to continuing to partner with central, regional and local government to deliver leading, evidence-informed, impactful programmes of support that support SME productivity improvement, growth and business innovation and that contribute to inclusive, sustainable economic growth and rising living standards. Increasing business support to SMEs, which are the backbone of the UK economy, will be an important means of encouraging grassroots economic growth. Exemplas has been delivering programmes of business support to SMEs for over 30 years and 600,000 businesses. We will be shortly published a series of Insight Papers that showcase research-validated approaches to the design and delivery of scaled productivity and growth business support programmes to SMEs that could help to drive the UK's productivity and growth from the grassroots. We believe these Papers will be of particular interest to national policy-makers and commissioners developing the new Small Business Strategy and Industrial Strategy as well as those in devolved and local government working on 10-year growth plans.

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This is why I left Labour 🥀 Unlike Labour, the Green Party decides its policy democratically and allows you to view it in full online at any time (policy.greenparty.org.uk) 🗳️ Our progressive approach and refusal to accept funding from dodgy donors means we can focus on delivering the best solutions for our communities 💚 I came into this campaign with a plan. A plan for a Green Industrial Revolution, and I have stuck by it. On day one, I committed to ending roughsleeping, kickstarting a Green Industrial Revolution, establishing citizens assemblies, and much more 💪🏼 Labour didn't have a plan then and they still don't now, just look at our submissions into the elections booklet via the link in my bio. I have provided a full plan for you whilst Labour just about managed to conjure up five meaningless sentences 🙄 Throughout this campaign, as I have gained the support of voters, Labour have sought to adopt my policies, hollow them out, and say something that sounds vaguely similar. They are scared of the support for the Greens and are abusing their position as the self-declared 'main opposition' to stifle progressive campaigns 💔 If you want Green, then you have to vote Green 💚 Labour have shown that they don't want to work with progressives but instead keep the establishment in power at any cost. Keir Starmer has u-turned time and again, we cannot trust Labour to deliver on our priorities 👎🏼 #chesterfield #derbyshiredales #derbyshire #derby #nottingham #notts #nottinghamshire #mansfield #citizensassemblies #democracy #green #greenparty #labour #keirstarmer #eastmidlands #eastmidlandsmayor #frankformayor

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I recently wrote on ConservativeHome about practical ways of reforming the Civil Service, given it's been getting some media attention of late. Having worked there myself - I know how hard working and well meaning officials are, and also how essential it is to have a functioning civil service: they are the transmission that turns ministerial direction into action—the literal levers of power. Nevertheless, challenges continue and I wrote down some thoughts on reforms - some which is happening in piecemeal form already that might help boost our civil service. You can read the full article below: https://lnkd.in/eD4tkvdn

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Responding to today’s UK Budget, Poverty Alliance chief executive Peter Kelly said: “People across the UK believe in a nation based on justice and compassion. Today’s Budget was an opportunity for Rt Hon Rachel Reeves to turn those values into action, and to rebuild trust in government. Despite some welcome changes, there is still some way to go. “Boosting the minimum wage is welcome, because for decades workers have been getting less and less from our growing economy. This increase will go some way to making up the gap, particularly for younger workers. But we need to remember that today’s Budget will still leave the legal minimum wages far lower than the real Living Wage rate – the only wage rate that is solely based on the cost of living – of £12.60 per hour, or £13.85 per hour in London. “We know that too many people on Universal Credit find themselves pushed into destitution when they are chased for debt by public bodies, so it’s good that the maximum amount of benefit that can be taken from them has been reduced. But the Chancellor could have gone further, by strengthening our social security with a boost to Universal Credit that would guarantee that households can afford life’s essentials. “She could have made it clear that every child matters, by scrapping the unjust and ineffective two-child limit, and ditching the unfair benefit cap which stops households getting all the support they are entitled to. “There was a welcome focus on the importance of our public services to our shared prosperity and wellbeing. But the Chancellor could have done more to use our country’s wealth to tackle poverty and invest in a better society. Even with today’s changes, people who earn money from selling shares and business assets will pay Capital Gains Tax at a lower rate than workers pay in Income Tax. That’s just wrong. “Freezing fuel duty and keeping the previous cuts in place will cost the Exchequer billions of pounds a year. It’s bad value for money, benefits the wealthiest in society most, and does little to make the transition to the green economy. The money would have been better invested in affordable, accessible, and sustainable public transport for all. “It’s right that big companies pay their fair share towards building a strong society, but the Chancellor must urgently consider how increases to employer National Insurance will hit charities and community groups. The support and advice provided by these organisations is vital for people who have been pushed into poverty, but too many are already struggling through a lack of fair funding, and this NI increase could push many over the edge. That would be a disaster for our communities, and leave more low-income households facing destitution and despair.”

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When Local Authorities are looking for practical help in designing and communicating organisational change, we can help. Key to change in this sector is ensuring there is alignment between the political system and the public body and officers: https://lnkd.in/eN9rGUaG

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When Local Authorities are looking for practical help in designing and communicating organisational change, we can help. Key to change in this sector is ensuring there is alignment between the political system and the public body and officers: https://lnkd.in/eN9rGUaG

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The new Blueprint for Change from Universities UK, notes that 'universities need to be embedded as key partners with Mayoral Combined Authorities (MCAs) and that local authorities and are well positioned to put themselves forward as critical partners in local growth plans' - citing Y-PERN as an example in Chapter 3 of the report.   Indeed, we are currently working with both South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority and West Yorkshire Combined Authority on their local growth plans, aiming to transform lives and communities across the region. https://lnkd.in/eJF2U_y7

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The BBC have appointed former BAFTA Chair, Anne Morrison and media consultant, Chris Banatvala, to review how accurately and authentically they portray groups and communities from across the UK. The review will look at the 2021/2 Census, to establish how BBC portrayal and representation of the UK reflects the current reality of communities around the country. BBC Chairman, Samir Shah, says: “The BBC must reflect the lives of all classes, communities and cultures across the UK, and how authentically and fairly it does this can be a significant factor in determining overall perceptions of the BBC. #RepresentationOnScreen #Representation #RepresentationMatters #SeeItBeIt #ContinuousImprovement

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“We are calling on ministers to rewire the Treasury to make sure they are embedding prevention into policymaking to drive cultural change across public services and decision-making processes.” 🗨️ Polly Curtis urges for greater prevention spending, as she introduces our latest report, in this write up by The Guardian 👉 https://lnkd.in/e4j4amUd 📕 The report, produced in partnership with The Health Foundation, builds on Demos's existing proposition to create a new category within Department Expenditure Limits: *Preventative* Departmental Expenditure Limits (PDEL). In the report, we explore the challenges of measurement and make a series of recommendations - including the passage of a “Public Investment Act” -  to show how to effectively and appropriately ringfence funding for #prevention. 📖 Read the full report here 👉 https://lnkd.in/eYvDaxbs

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Through our leadership programmes we provide a wide range of officer development programmes for executive leaders, chief executives, and rising stars. Discover how our sector support programme develops the skills of #LocalGov leaders: https://orlo.uk/G2bR5

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