Kirsty Weakley

Colchester

News Editor at Local Government Chronicle

News @lgcplus ex @CivilSocietyUK - very much here for news, thoughts and gossip about local government (but also wine, Take That and cat pics) she/her

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Articles

Exclusive: Almost two in five councils ‘worse off’ under Labour

5 days ago | lgcplus.com | Kirsty Weakley |Jonathan Knott

Just 21% of council figures say their authority is better off as a result of Labour’s actions since entering government last July, according to LGC research. LGC’s latest Confidence Survey asked whether the government’s decisions have meant their council’s financial position is better or worse off. Some 14% said they were ‘a lot’ worse off and 25% said they were ‘a bit’ worse off. Two fifths said they were neither better nor worse off.
Councils' patience with Starmer government is running out

1 week ago | lgcplus.com | Kirsty Weakley

Findings from the latest LGC confidence survey show the government must do more to show council figures that they understand the pressures local authorities are under, writes head of content Kirsty WeakleyIn the wake of Reform UK’s electoral and polling surge, Sir Keir Starmer appears to have embarked on a charm offensive to win over ‘working people’.
Balancing the planning reform carrot and stick

1 week ago | lgcplus.com | Kirsty Weakley

Government must ensure keeping housebuilders on track does not become just another burden on overstretched councils, writes head of content Kirsty Weakley. How did you spend your bank holiday weekend? Down to the seaside with friends? First family barbecue of summer? On the sofa with a bowl of popcorn catching up on Eurovision because you had foolishly made clashing plans the previous weekend (ok that one is probably just me)?
Minister urges councils to promote waste reforms on Facebook

2 weeks ago | lgcplus.com | Kirsty Weakley

Waste reforms will generate billions in investment but councils will need to help educate the public about the benefits, the nature minister said yesterday. Mary Creagh was speaking to the Association of Directors of Environment, Planning & Transport's spring conference where she suggested councils should use their position to help educate the public about the positive impact of reforms.
‘Disconnect’ between planning policy and reality, survey finds

2 weeks ago | lgcplus.com | Kirsty Weakley

Over three quarters of planning committee members surveyed said the government’s 1.5 million homes target is “unachievable,” according to the results of a survey published today. The top reason given for the expected failure to hit the target was skills shortages within the construction industry (33%), followed by land banking by developers. Just 3% of respondents said the planning system itself “cannot cope”.
Ex-Birmingham chief: ‘Local leadership must change’

2 weeks ago | lgcplus.com | Kirsty Weakley

National and local leaders must change their mindset and “invest in local leadership” if further devolution is to succeed, according to the former chief executive of Birmingham City Council. Deborah Cadman, who is also a former chief executive of the West Midlands CA, is one of the contributors to an essay collection that sets out the case for a radical expansion of devolution compiled by Re:State, the new name for the Reform thinktank that avoids confusion with the political party.
Independent analysis finds social care needs £8.7bn boost

3 weeks ago | lgcplus.com | Kirsty Weakley

Social care needs an extra £3.4bn a year by 2028-29 jut to avoid services from declining, a new report from the Health Foundation has found. The report, produced ahead of the spending review, warns that any funding below this level would risk “a decline in the quality of care or a higher burden on unpaid carers”. The report modelled three scenarios for funding social care. If the government wants to improve access to care it would need to spend an extra £6.4bn per year by 2028-29.
East Midlands mayor: ‘The beauty of thinking long-term’

3 weeks ago | lgcplus.com | Kirsty Weakley

The first year as mayor of a new combined authority is tough because “expectations are really high” but the organisation is still in its infancy, the inaugural mayor of the East Midlands CA has told LGC on the anniversary of her election. Claire Ward (Lab) was elected in May 2024 and in an interview to mark the first year in office she acknowledged the importance responding to the “frustrations” people face.
Social care has 99 problems, but overseas staff ‘aint one

3 weeks ago | lgcplus.com | Kirsty Weakley

The government should start with a credible, funded and fast plan to fix social care, before choking off the supply of overseas workers writes head of content Kirsty WeakleyIn 2004 American rapper Jay-Z famously had 99 problems, but romantic success with the opposite sex was not among them. A similar sentiment could be applied to social care today, which is seemingly the focus of the government’s newfound zeal to talk tough on immigration.
Concern over plan to halt care worker visas

3 weeks ago | lgcplus.com | Kirsty Weakley

Unions and care agencies have raised concerns about government plans to stop recruiting care workers from abroad as part of immigration changes. Ahead of the immigration white paper, which is set to be published later today, the Home Office announced that care providers will no longer be able to hire staff from abroad.