Alex Walker

Perhaps the next 'grand theory' of public service reform will not come from the centre, but from the periphery. Strategic authorities, properly empowered, could connect the testing of new approaches on the frontline with system-level change - and perhaps channel new theories of public management back up to the centre.

"Perhaps the next 'grand theory' of public service reform will not come from the centre, but from the periphery."

@alwalker.bsky.social writing for @re-state.bsky.social

Yes, seems far more likely to me, as long as the centre allows enough flexibility.

open.substack.com/pub/restate/...

My first Re:View is out - I look at Kent county council's struggle to find big spending cuts, what it says about the difficult work of public service reform, and whether the next ‘grand theory’ of public management could come from the periphery rather than the centre.

The only way Labour can win the next election is by governing well.
That might not be enough, but it’s the bare minimum.
The questions to be asking about any potential new PM are “what is their agenda and can they achieve it?”
Not “do they currently poll well?”
Or “can they handle a media round?”

Unpacking the pride in place programme - Bennett School of Public Policy The government's new ‘pride in place’ strategy promises to empower communities to restore local spaces and revive high streets. The widened and rebranded regeneration scheme forms a key pillar of its ...

The government announced today that the pride in place programme is being expanded to a further 40 neighbourhoods.

I wrote something last year for @bennettschool.cam.ac.uk on the political appeal of the programme and what it's intended to achieve:

www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/blog/unpacki...

NEW REPORT - Capital at risk

London is a global capital. But it doesn't have the governance to match. The Mayor is much less powerful than his international counterparts, with too many boroughs which hold too much influence. The city needs reboot.

🔗👇

Re:State is on Substack! Must read first post from @stkaye.bsky.social featuring F. Scott Fitzgerald and the new white paper on police reform.

Can the government square "From the local to national: a new model for policing" with the commitments it made in the devolution white paper?

Listen to me talking about my book (out now!) with an excellent panel:

Welcome! You are invited to join a webinar: In conversation with Mayor Kim McGuinness. After registering, you will receive a confirmation email about joining the webinar. Directly elected Mayors, leading increasingly assertive Combined Authorities, are beginning to challenge Whitehall’s monopoly on power in England. They are reshaping how local decisions are made, how ...

Latest Re:State 'meetings with mayors' is happening today! Sign up to hear Simon Kaye in convo with mayor of the v interesting North East Combined Authority, Kim McGuinness.

us06web.zoom.us/webinar/regi...

Some job news - excited to share that I've started a new position as a Senior Researcher at @re-state.bsky.social! I'll be working on the fantastic 'Re:Imagining the Local State' programme, and thinking about the future of local government and devolution.

Power to the People How Labour can restore civic life and counter the "Britain is broken" narrative

Two good related pieces out today on civic renewal - one from James Plunkett on how to do it (what he calls 'communitarian statecraft'), and the other from Jack Shaw on improving the visible state of the public realm: jackshaw.substack.com/p/a-politics...

samf.substack.com/p/power-to-t...

This is why there's a whole chapter in my book about the damage the grid has done to policy making.

wikipedia turns 25 today! the last unenshittified major website! backbone of online info! triumph of humanity! powered by urge of unpaid randos to correct each other! somehow mostly reliable! "good thing wikipedia works in practice, because it sure doesn't work in theory" - old wiki adage

There'll be lots of attention on the campaigns in Scotland and Wales over the next few months, but it's worth also looking ahead to a potential situation in which the UK and devolved governments are all led by different parties, and what this might mean for intergovernmental relations and policy:

As ever, worth reading Joël ‘reality over rhetoric’ Reland.

If you want a more strategic central state you have to devolve a lot more operational power. The more you try to control everything centrally the harder it gets.

In a new blog, @alwalker.bsky.social looks at Labour’s record on intergovernmental relations so far—where there have been improvements, where cracks are showing, and why devolved elections next year could mean a more challenging political environment for devolution.

Read: bit.ly/4jbAR2r

UK intergovernmental relations under Labour: a fragile reset, with potential challenges ahead - Bennett School of Public Policy As the prospect of nationalist First Ministers across the UK’s devolved governments grows stronger, Alex Walker examines whether Labour’s promised ‘reset’ of intergovernmental relations can withstand ...

For #devolution anoraks/those with a passing interest in how this blessed realm is governed, this is an interesting piece by @bennettschool.cam.ac.uk @alwalker.bsky.social of the current UK Govt’s ‘reset’ of intergovernmental relations & how IGR might be shaped by next year’s devolved elections

While the govt has not always been consistent or especially ambitious, it can point to some improvements in intergovernmental relations.

But the elections next year may take the devolved Union into a new and more testing period. Serious thought should be given now about how best to navigate this.

UK intergovernmental relations under Labour: a fragile reset, with potential challenges ahead - Bennett School of Public Policy As the prospect of nationalist First Ministers across the UK’s devolved governments grows stronger, Alex Walker examines whether Labour’s promised ‘reset’ of intergovernmental relations can withstand ...

Wrapping up for Christmas with a piece looking back at how the UK government has approached devolved relations since Labour took office, and looking ahead to 2026 and the upcoming elections in Scotland and Wales.

www.bennettschool.cam.ac.uk/blog/uk-inte...

Interesting piece on the history of post-war place-based policy (which spells out some clear lessons for the government's pride in place programme)

We're looking for a Professor of Public Policy to join our senior leadership team.

They'll play a leading role in teaching on the School's postgraduate courses, & make a significant contribution to its research & research leadership.

Apply by 9 February 2026: www.cam.ac.uk/jobs/profess...

Mayoral elections in priority areas should be held in May 2027 at the very latest | Institute for Government The government has not made a convincing case for postponement.

Great new piece from @akashpaun.bsky.social on the decision to delay next year’s mayoral elections.

“even on the government's own terms… then the case for shifting these polls to 2027 is far stronger than delaying them until 2028”

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/mayo...

Can confirm this is an excellent role! You'll be joining a fantastic team at an exciting time and working on some really interesting stuff. Plenty of time to apply over the Christmas break!

How to get science back into policymaking Misunderstanding and hubris have broken public trust in governments’ use of science, but it can be restored.

If you’re involved in research impact, public engagement (in any form) then you really need to read this from @dianecoyle1859.bsky.social and @michaelkenny.bsky.social at @bennettschool.cam.ac.uk

www.nature.com/articles/d41...

Important piece on the challenges facing evidence-informed policy and how researchers and universities should respond (including acknowledging uncertainties and trade-offs, a wider understanding of what counts as evidence, and stronger connections between unis and local communities)

Excellent to see this from The Economist. We are slow walking into a constitutional crisis driven by the electoral system, and very few people are taking it seriously enough yet.

Exciting new MPhil at the Bennett School - applications open!

Really pleased to see a new commitment to place-based budgets today. Further progress towards the implementation of 'Total Place' principles as urged with @jesstud.bsky.social a couple of years ago. www.newlocal.org.uk/publications....

From now on, when discussing the budget, please use “is this measure bigger than the cost to the exchequer of gen Z drinking less” as your metric for assessing whether something actually raises or costs a significant sum