INLOGOV

NALC invites parish and town councillors to shape the future of the 21st-century councillor We are calling on parish and town councillors to take part in a major national event examining what it means to be a 21st-century councillor

NALC invites parish and town councillors to shape the future of the 21st-century councillor

www.nalc.gov.uk/resource/nal...

Understanding Mayoral Accountability: Insights from Japan and the UK Jason Lowther What makes a directly elected mayor genuinely accountable to the public? How do contrasting political and administrative systems shape the conduct, choices, and leadership styles of t…

What makes a directly elected mayor genuinely accountable to the public?

A short report on a recent seminar led by Akinari Takehisa, former mayor of Setouchi City in Japan.

inlogov.com/2026/03/02/u...

Mayors and performance information

Thanks to Akinari Takehisa for a thought provoking seminar on accountability and city mayors. I was particularly struck by the behavioural attributes identified as facilitating and hindering Political, Hierarchical, Professional, and Legal Accountability.

bham.cloud.panopto.eu/Panopto/Page...

Our next Inlogov seminar is on the use of performance information in mayoral accountability. Please join us if you can.

www.birmingham.ac.uk/events/perfo...

Job half done, it’s time to tackle council tax Jason Lowther It’s hard to deny that the local government finance settlement this month marks big achievements for the ‘new’ (now almost two years old) government.  Labour’s manifesto promised…

The local government finance settlement was a good start, now we need to tackle council tax

inlogov.com/2026/02/17/j...

This is what local government looks like Solace is proud to launch This is What Local Government Looks Like – a new 10‑minute film capturing the insights, experiences and reflections of more than 50 people working across the UK local governm...

This is What Local Government Looks Like – a new 10‑minute film capturing the insights, experiences and reflections of more than 50 people working across the UK local government sector.

solace.org.uk/this-is-what...

It's probably too early to say. My view is that the current system is too disjointed - by organisation/department, by grade, by profession. There is too little human interaction and knowledge sharing. There is too much outsourcing rather than co-creation of what public servants actually need...

Cutting management apprenticeships would set young people up to fail at work Might management apprenticeships be “streamlined” out of existence? Malcolm Press and Ann Francke warn of the economic and labour market impact of any such move Might management apprenticeships be “st...

Might management apprenticeships be “streamlined” out of existence? Malcolm Press and Ann Francke warn of the economic and labour market impact of any such move

wonkhe.com/blogs/cuttin...

Burnham’s ambitions follow 150-year trend There has long been a perception of local government as a stepping stone or training ground for national office, writes Phil Swann, a PhD student at Inlogov at the University of Birmingham.

It's not just Andy Burnham, there has long been a perception of local government as a stepping stone or training ground for national office...

Phil Swann writes in the Local Government Chronicle

www.lgcplus.com/politics/lgc...

LARIA's One Day Conference and Awards: Book Now! - LARIA - Local Area Research + Intelligence Association LARIA's One Day Conference and Awards: Registration now open Wednesday 25 March 2026 Local Government Association 18 Smith Square Westminster London SW1P 3HZ Local Evidence Matters: Understanding Need...

The LARIA conference is always a highlight for inspiring examples from the world of local government research and analysis. This year looks the best yet!

www.laria.org.uk/2026/01/23/l...

Why the establishment of a national school for civil servants matters Investing in professional support systems for politicians and public servants is long overdue.

Why the establishment of a national school for civil servants matters

theconversation.com/why-the-esta...

An excellent piece from CIPFA and the Health Foundation exploring the extent to which council spending on prevention can be quantified to inform future policy shifting from reactive to preventative services.

www.cipfa.org/services/int...

Are deferred local elections the real threat to UK democracy? Jason Lowther With dozens of English councils and hundreds of councillors facing delays to this year’s May elections, opponents claim the move could undermine public trust in democracy.  Histo…

Deferred local elections are not the biggest threat to our democracy

inlogov.com/2026/01/16/a...

In conversation with Baroness Casey of Blackstock DBE CB YouTube video by Institute for Government

Great to see Baroness Casey recognise the unique accountability of local government and its success in modernising and managing budgets through austerity at the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk annual conference today

www.youtube.com/live/KiA1vmI...

Are you an INLOGOV alumni? If so, you should have received our latest e-mag last month which includes updates on some of our latest research. Please let me know if you haven't received your copy and we'll sort it!

Forget the temperature, for councillor discretion, look north! Photo by Michael D Beckwith on Pexels.com Chris Game You may just possibly have seen the recent report: “Oldham councillors must repay overpaid allowances due to payroll error”.  And thought: …

Restoring councillor pensions is a good step, but we need much more to increase the attractiveness of the role, argues Chris Game

inlogov.com/2025/12/16/f...

Just how ‘burdensome’ is our tax system? Chris Game One of the almost unavoidable consequences of being comprehensively retired and with any kind of interest in politics is that you find yourself watching more of the Government’s annual, …

How "burdensome" is our tax system?

Chris Game argues time the Chancellor should modify her ‘burden’ references and we need a positive buzzword/phrase to substitute for ‘tax burden’?

inlogov.com/2025/12/05/j...

Refugees after war

Local Government in the Czech Republic During Two Recent Crises

"alongside reform for efficiency and scale, we need to invest in robust governance - in communication, trust, community capacity, and strong vertical relationships between central and local government"

inlogov.com/2025/11/28/l...

Crisis management in cities: how politicians and public servants worked together during the Ukrainian refugee reception Dr. Nicolai De Wulf, Prof. Dr. Joris Voets When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, millions of people fled their homes seeking safety across Europe. In Belgium, cities such as Antwerp, Ghent,…

📢 🆕 blog post from Dr. Nicolai De Wulf and Prof. Dr. Joris Voets 'Crisis management in cities: how politicians and public servants worked together during the Ukrainian refugee reception', published by @inlogov.bsky.social (The Institute of Local Government Studies)

inlogov.com/2025/11/18/c...

A Very Local Authority Garath Symonds When I was asked by the Chief Executive to take over a failing project to create acontact centre for vulnerable residents, I said yes without hesitation. It felt like anopportunity t…

Developing authority starts with self-leadership, the inner work of noticing what is being projected into us, what emotions we are carrying on behalf of
the wider system. It asks for a disciplined curiosity about anxiety

inlogov.com/2025/11/21/a...

Crisis management in cities: how politicians and public servants worked together during the Ukrainian refugee reception Dr. Nicolai De Wulf, Prof. Dr. Joris Voets When Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, millions of people fled their homes seeking safety across Europe. In Belgium, cities such as Antwerp, Ghent,…

How do politics and administration work together when everything is urgent?

For practitioners, the message is clear: invest in relationships between political and administrative leaders before the next crisis hits.

inlogov.com/2025/11/18/c...

Intervention 3.0: Designing a Responsive Model for Local Government Support in England Jason Lowther / Paul Joyce / Philip Whiteman The arrival of the new UK government looks set to result in a new policy on central government’s intervention powers in local authorities, the third gen…

Central government interventions should minimise the suspension of local democracy, do as little damage as possible to the public’s trust in their local council, and foster good local democratic political leadership.

inlogov.com/2025/11/04/i...

YouTube video by Tim Neal This is What Local Government Looks Like - Trailer

Hugely excited by the trailer and upcoming launch of "This is What Local Government looks like" by SOLACE. A timely reminder of the great work councils do and the contribution of everyone who works in the sector.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=sf79...

Public sector investment on prevention can for the first time be mapped and measured using an approach developed by CIPFA and supported by The Health Foundation. Inlogov's director was part of the Preventative Investment Reference Group for this work.

www.cipfa.org/-/media/File...

Inlogov's Director, Jason Lowther, joined Mo Baines (Chief Executive of APSE) and Rebecca Davis (Chief Executive of West Midlands Employers), to discuss Data, Devolution and the Future of Local Government on the new "The Pulse" podcast.

wmemployers.org.uk/the-pulse/po...

‘Place Funding: The Local Authority Challenge’ is a fast-paced simulation game that puts players in the role of councils to explore how decisions around place-based funding get made, and the trade-offs involved.

www.birmingham.ac.uk/events/place...

From Consultation to Co-Creation: How Birmingham Can Lead the Way in Participatory Governance Susana Higueras and Sonia Bussu In a time of growing inequality, political disillusionment, and institutional strain, Birmingham is at a crossroads. The city’s bold initiative, Shaping Birmingham’s…

From Consultation to Co-Creation: How Birmingham Can Lead the Way in Participatory Governance

We are delighted to publish this new blog and report by Sonia Bussu and Susana Higueras.

inlogov.com/2025/10/17/f...

If you’re a councillor – or you work in a role supporting councillors – come and join us in Andover on 4 November to hear more about our latest research. You’ll also hear from the LGC about their new campaign to support councillors.

Click here to register: www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/21st-centu...

How not to damage democracy The arrival of the new Government looks set to result in a new policy on central government's intervention powers in local authorities, the third generation of such...

Future central government intervention should minimise the suspension of local democracy, do as little damage as possible to the public’s trust in their local council, and foster good local democratic political leadership.

www.themj.co.uk/damage-democ...

Can Labour’s plan to fund deprived communities see off Reform? What the evidence shows Many of the planned improvements are largely cosmetic.

Our new article in The Conversation asks: Can Labour’s plan to fund deprived communities see off Reform? Abigail Taylor and Alice Pugh (City-REDI) with Jason Lowther (Inlogov).

theconversation.com/can-labours-...