Author Archives: Cambridge Town Owl

There are a number of local elections coming up in May 2021 – including the ones that were postponed from 2020. Alya Zayed has produced this guide for the Cambridge News for people living in Cambridge City. You can find out which elections are happening where you live via: The Electoral Commission here Democracy Club’sContinue reading “Who will organise public debates / hustings for local elections? And who will live stream them?”

This one us up before the local council’s planning committee on 19 Feb 2021 (so am writing this the day before). You can read Ben Hatton’s assessment in the Cambridge Independent here. This development links five settlements together about ten miles to the west of Cambridge. You can read about what has been promised here.Continue reading “Bourne Airfield – a new development up before planners in South Cambridgeshire”

…and how can parties, activists, campaign groups, and even the local media assist in getting more people involved in the debates, and make it more that just about day-to-day issues (bins & potholes) or things outside of local council’s remit (Brexit, immigration)? This post looks at who has published what that might make for interestingContinue reading “Who will have the most inspiring future vision for Cambridge & County at the local elections in May 2021?”

Some of you may have seen the headlines proposing a new Westley Green on that is to be East of Cambridge. If you get me. 9.7) “New settlements have the benefit of starting from scratch. They allow the core areas to be suitably sized to meet the future anticipated needs and ensure that transport infrastructureContinue reading “Six Mile Bottom Newtown east of Cambridge”

I’m trying to find the Twitter post that told me the law is not clear on who has what powers to establish lifelong learning colleges – in particular making capital grants from the state to establish such premises. Actions from elected politicians: To write to the Education Secretary to ask him which minister has policyContinue reading “So, how do you finance and build an an adult education college?”

Two of the brightest rising stars in public policy world have got me thinking about how the country can hold to account those in power, and those that recently wielded it with significant consequences. The first was Dr Alice Lilly, senior researcher at the Institute for Government, and someone qualified to comment with expert insightContinue reading “What the US Impeachment trial can teach the UK about both ministerial accountability and policy evaluation”

And what could or should change as a result? The exchanges at a seemingly anonymous parish council meeting up in Cheshire caught the attention of the social media world outside local democracy politics, and went global, making an internet legend of Jackie Weaver of the Cheshire Association of Local Councils, while the Monitoring Officer atContinue reading “What did the Handforth Parish Council reveal about local democracy to those that don’t follow it closely?”

They published their ideas yesterday (03 Feb 2021) You can read their proposals here. Their individual policy ideas are listed as: “Exploring a redevelopment of the Queen Anne Terrace Car Park, primarily for housing Developing an investment programme to refurbish and modernise public toilets, rather than removing them Launching a campaign to promote effective recycling andContinue reading “Cambridge Liberal Democrats publish proposals in run up to the re-election of the entire city council due for May 2021”

Government telly-interview style guides seem to mandate the presence of a flag behind the politician being interviewed. In the meantime, someone in Labour wants to get in on the act. About an hour and a half ago, this dropped in. You can read the article here – including the official Labour response at the end.Continue reading “Is investing in local histories a more richer seam for political parties than staged flag-placement?”