Policy articles and commentary
Analysis, discussion summaries and practical commentary from people working close to policy and delivery.
Malcolm Gardner, Visionary Network Ltd The local election results were not simply a bad night for some parties and a good night for others. They were a warning about the fragility of local government…
Read articleThere is a familiar rhythm to British public policy. A popular campaigner identifies a real unfairness. Ministers sense an easy win. Special advisers spot a headline. A complex administrative system is reduced to a…
Read articleThe Independent Revenues and Benefits Monday Discussion Group met on 27 April 2026 to consider the government’s proposed reforms to council tax collection. The central question posed by Malcolm Gardner was whether the changes…
Read articleIn 2024/25, councils in England raised £258million in court costs for the non-payment of council tax, sending more than three million households to court. These new findings are part of our upcoming report, Debt on…
Read articleThe Department for Work and Pensions’ Spring Forecast 2026 is, on one level, exactly what these documents often are: a dense set of tables, assumptions and projected expenditure lines. But behind the spreadsheets sits…
Read articleThe latest Monday Discussion Group opened with Malcolm Gardner posing a stark question: is the temporary accommodation crisis mainly a housing supply problem or a financial systems problem? The answer from the panel was…
Read articleRecurring digital payments have quietly become a fixed feature of household finances across the UK, Europe and the United States. For revenues and benefits services, understanding their scale, their cross-national consistency — and their…
Read articleThe Independent Revenues and Benefits Monday Discussion Group on 30 March ranged across three familiar but connected themes: supported housing, local government reorganisation and the latest poverty figures. What tied the conversation together was…
Read articleAdministrative data supports councils in delivering the Crisis and Resilience Fund (CRF) end-to-end, from identifying residents who may be eligible for support to running targeted campaigns and tracking outcomes. Administrative data allows councils to…
Read articleThis week’s Independent R&B Monday Discussion Group opened with two subjects that, on the surface, might have looked separate, but quickly proved to be deeply connected. Malcolm Gardner framed the session around a practical…
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