Policy articles and commentary
Analysis, discussion summaries and practical commentary from people working close to policy and delivery.
For a fleeting moment in early 2026, the UK appeared to have escaped the gravity of the inflation crisis. Households finally saw a window of relief as energy forecasts dipped and the Bank of…
Read articleReflections from the Independent Revenues and Benefits Monday Discussion Group This week’s Independent Revenues and Benefits Monday Discussion Group ranged widely, but two themes dominated the discussion: the government’s latest youth employment package, and…
Read articleThe latest Independent Revenues and Benefits Monday Discussion Group took the Chancellor’s Spring Statement as its starting point and asked a simple question: what does it really mean when viewed from the frontline of…
Read articleThe Independent Revenues and Benefits Monday Discussion Group spent much of its 2 March session exploring a question that is rapidly moving from policy theory into operational reality: what does the changing world of…
Read articlePurpose To set out a single, joined up view of the national economic and fiscal outlook, and the practical implications for council tax, council tax reduction (CTR), local welfare support (including DHP and crisis…
Read articleMeeting note for 16 February 2026 The group focused on two linked themes that continue to dominate local public service delivery: whether council tax and adult social care should be reformed in tandem; and…
Read articleMeeting note for 9 February 2026 The slide pack is too large to send by email this week. Please download it from is page, alongside the recording and other related reports. The pack is…
Read articleMeeting summary for 2 February 2026 Who contributed Participants referenced in the transcript included: malcolm Gardner (chair), Naomi Armstrong, Nicki Duckworth, Kirsty Brooksmith (H&F), Gareth Morgan, Michael Fisher, Robert Fox, Paul Howarth, Sean O’Sullivan,…
Read articleOn 26 January 2026, the Independent Revenues and Benefits Monday Discussion Group focused mainly on the new Crisis and Resilience Fund, with a closing round of linked updates on digital delivery, WorkWell, and a…
Read article19 January 2026 (12:02pm) The group marked “Blue Monday” with a mixture of humour and hard reality: policy change arriving at speed, year-end pressures stacking up, and councils trying to keep services stable while…
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