Category Archives: Uncategorized

We don’t yet have the policy detail, but I suspect this will become one of the debating grounds in local government policy circles – and one where the Liberal Democrats and Labour may have very different proposals. You can read the Shadow Chancellor’s proposals here It’s more of an art than a science when itContinue reading “In Rachel Reeves’ New Economic Model for Britain, how much power is HM Treasury prepared to devolve?”

For all the criticisms I have of the content – and I have more than a few, the buck stops with ministers for establishing a tier of administration with few powers, convoluted systems of democratic accountability, and funding systems that keeps Whitehall in control of things that should really be devolved to local areas –Continue reading “The new Local Transport Plan shows why the Combined Authority is not fit for purpose – and ministers own this”

What ‘elephant in the room’ questions could you put to rooms full of people of whose firms/employers much is written about the financial wealth they create for UK PLC? TL/DR? See https://cambridgewideopenday.com/about/ and sign up here as I don’t want to be the only grumpy town person going! (I’m good at moaning about stuff –Continue reading “What’s going on inside ‘Cambridge’? (The sci/tech bubble) Cambridge-wide Open Day on Wed 14 June 2023”

A by-election so soon after the local elections in difficult circumstances for what is normally a safe Labour seat – will any Independent candidates stand for this one? 29th June 2023 if Phil’s got his calculations right. The contemporary local history of King’s Hedges by Messrs Rosenstiel and Edkins show King’s Hedges as being aContinue reading “King’s Hedges by-election for summer 2023”

It might sound strange, but this has as much to do with our broken planning system as it does with protecting Cambridge’s civic heritage – and it’s a decision that is taken under the authority of what is currently a Conservative Secretary of State. I received this in the post this morning: A notice fromContinue reading “Cambridge Tories have a decision to make on the Romsey Labour Club”

Anyone fancy a dash through the Channel Tunnel? (It might be too big a challenge for me but it may interest sustainable transport campaigners in & around Cambridge) I stumbled across this thread by Municipal Dreams Have a look at the public transport maps for Reims here “Hang on a minute – where in FranceContinue reading “What can Cambridge learn from the new tramway in Reims, northern France?”

Furthermore, the prominent names associated with large institutions (whether Cambridge University-related or private sector) should not assume that local councillors are willing to take the political or mental health hit on their behalf for policies they won’t pitch to the residents of our city themselves. I’m not entirely sure when the Cambridge Economic Bonfire articleContinue reading “Academic researchers working on the future of Cambridge cannot ignore Politics in their recommendations”

Taking on a challenge from John Elworthy of the Cambs News Three-tier councils – parishes, district/boroughs, and county/shires Cambridge nominally falls within borough level councils along with many small cities and large towns of a similar size – successive governments deciding either they are too small to stand alone as unitary councils or that theContinue reading “How might a “Great Cambridge” Unitary Council simplify lines of accountability for city, towns, & villages?”

That depends on how much they invest in local and regional infrastructure as part of their proposals. You may have read the headline here. Initial proposals go to South Cambridgeshire District Council councillors on Friday. <<– The link has a further link to the livestream – starts at 11am. “Hang on – I thought AstraContinue reading “How welcome is Wellcome’s monster campus proposal at Hinxton?”

Surprise ousting of Cllr Anna Smith followed by the resignation of her deputy Cllr Alex Collis will mean more than a little soul-searching for the Cambridge Labour Party You’ll be able to listen to former Cllr Collis’s comments to Louise Hulland on BBC Radio Cambridgeshire from just after 6pm (scroll to 3h20m) on the ChrisContinue reading “All change at the top of Cambridge Labour Party – and the City Council”