Annabel Smith

The Centre for Progressive Policy, with its Inclusive Growth Network, is becoming the Growth and Reform Network. Our mission is to bridge the gap between national policymaking and regional/local practice.

We're looking for someone great to help engage with members and spread the word on our work!

With local gov energy being poured into reform of the sector, major attention to what is realistically required to build capacity will be crucial in shifting the dial on outcomes. We'll be continuing to look at these issues with places through our developing network @centrepropolicy.bsky.social

Reform to get infrastructure and housing going will be important in unlocking barriers to longer term growth in our places, as will reforming public services to improve join up, but there needs to be focus on building capacity of the local and regional state if it is to be delivered successfully.

While there are positive glimmers in commitments to vital capital spending and reference to a £3.25bn Transformation Fund to improve public services, the inevitable upshot of welfare reform will be even more pressure on the local government frontline.

There is clearly an imperative to grip the ballooning welfare bill and rising economic inactivity due to ill health. The challenge is that the interventions that will tackle the root causes - preventative public health, employment support, joined up training and pathways - are stretched further.

Rayner rolls out £1.5billion pot to boost 75 neighbourhoods - see list of areas A total of 75 areas will each receive up to £20million in funding over the next decade to help revive high streets, youth clubs, parks and libraries, the government said

Quick thread on today's commitment to £1.5bn for neighbourhood renewal channeling John Prescott's New Deal for Communities of the 2000s. www.mirror.co.uk/news/politic...

A timely reminder from @tanyasingh99.bsky.social that with local growth plans and national industrial strategy being finalised, the everyday economy shouldn't be discounted as separate to efforts to revive UK productivity.