This article was originally published on 19 December. It has been republished following the news today (29 November 2023) that Nottingham council has issued a Section 114 notice, effectively declaring
The 2020s seem to be the era of housing misery (at least for the two thirds of us who don’t own their homes outright). Mortgage costs are rising, as are rents for private tenants and in social housing
The industrial revolution was powered first by coal, then, from the mid-19th century, oil and gas. Whole communities grew up around mining, drilling, and refining fossil fuels. Canals and roads were a
“Rigging is rigging, it doesn’t matter if you’re on an oil rig, you’re in a fabrication yard, or if you’re on a wind turbine,” said Paul*, an engineer who has been working offshore for 20 years. Now,
This article was originally published on 19 December. It has been republished following the news that Middlesbrough council needs emergency financial help to avoid bankruptcy. Today Nottingham City Co
On Saturday 6 January, Bloomberg reported that the UK government was considering loosening the rules on councils selling their assets. Such a move might enable local authorities to plug the gaps in th
Editor’s note: This article was originally published in June 2023. It was reported this week (17 January 2024) that Keir Starmer has written to the cabinet secretary to begin access talks ahead of a p
Councils are suffering from low staff morale and struggling to recruit, according to a report from the Social Market Foundation and Chartered Management Institute. These findings come against a backdr
Welcome to the Research Brief, where Spotlight, the New Statesman’s policy section, brings you the pick of recent publications from the think tank, charity and NGO world. See more editions of the Rese
Both Labour and the Conservatives have promised better and more efficient online government services through digital transformation. But are these promises realistic? A series of embarrassing and cata