Governance and Reform
Analysis of how local government reorganisation reshapes decision making, accountability and planning performance, and what governance discipline is required to make reform work in practice.
Unlocking Surrey's Potential, Interview with Surrey Leader, Tim Oliver OBE
Leader Of Surrey County Council, Tim Oliver OBE Speaks With LGR Series Editor, Rowan Cole about what LGR and devolution mean.
Democratic Legitimacy
Exploring how scale, electoral systems and institutional design affect representation, public trust and the authority of decision making in newly formed councils.
The Democratic Deficit: Why Bigger Government Forces Harder Democratic Trade Offs
Kelly’s perspective sits alongside the operational concerns raised by senior officers and the strategic ambitions articulated by council leaders. But his focus is different. He concentrates on the human mechanics of representation and accountability, and on what happens when scale increases faster than democratic capacity.
Statecraft and System Design
Examining how political judgment, institutional design and operational systems combine to determine whether new councils function with clarity, confidence and control.
Does the 'Super-Council' Demand a New Voting System?
Local Government Reorganisation has shifted English local government from localism towards sub regional governance. Councils are larger, executives more powerful and decisions more strategic. The question we ask is: is the voting system used to elect Councillors fit for purpose in 2026?