In momentous times for councils, we need more data on local elections
How to tell if the police and crime commissioner experiment has failed
March 2016
George Osborne's 'IOU' cuts leave public sector guessing until 2018
The chancellor has, in effect, admitted that more cuts will be needed in 2018 – but he won’t say where
February 2016
Whitehall's new business plans are little more than political rhetoric
David Walker
Tackling financial exclusion
What if the computer says no because you are a disabled consumer?
Martin Coppack
November 2015
Plans to merge fire and police services have dodged proper scrutiny
Pete Murphy
Putting police in charge of firefighters could lead to neglect of emergency services – something the sham public consultation failed to mention
October 2015
Don't ask harassed public servants to join this Tory hunt for extremists
David Walker
David Cameron is asking for extra vigilance from public sector staff, while cutting their budgets and rubbishing them in the media
Ten things we have learned about local government this week
Devolution might finally be giving hopeful councils a place in the limelight, but it is marred by fragmentation, inequality and fear
David Cameron is on track to kill off social housing
No one who has followed the past five years of Tory policy will be surprised that government wants to scrap the requirement to build affordable homes
September 2015
The big transport debate
Councils in the driving seat: transport devolution explained
The government is transferring transport powers to local government in a bid to improve productivity. We examine plans for the northern powerhouse
June 2015
Civil service leaders
Public sector staff made redundant by Tory cuts will have nowhere to go
David Walker
Thatcherites believe an expanding private sector will automatically hoover up ex-government staff. The evidence isn’t strong
There's a new police frontline, and it's not on the streets
Increasingly crime happens in private spaces and online. The police service must adapt and hire more specialist staff, such as cyber forensic analysts
Public service reform: the challenges that lie ahead
City devolution is a bright spot amid public leaders’ concerns over the impact of cuts on housing, local services and policing
May 2015
The Queen's speech: what public leaders want to see
Why local elections on 7 May are more important than ever
David Sparks
April 2015
Unless we stop driving cars, all other sustainable transport plans are pointless
Doubling bus use across the UK would only reduce car driving by 1.3%, according to expert Steve Melia. We ask him about the best ways to restrict car use
How the business department ditched its workplace macho culture
Storytelling and breathing techniques are among the ways senior leaders say BIS has achieved a 50/50 gender balance on its leadership team
Why does Whitehall make it so hard to measure its effectiveness?
David Walker
Recent Institute for Government report highlights the difficulties in determining who is responsible when ministers abandon their plans
March 2015
Why governments need guinea pigs for policies
Jonathan Breckon
What will the next government do to end the bus cuts crisis?
