What is local government and how can you get involved?
As voters get ready for the council elections on 5 May, here’s what you need to know about the different tiers of local government
December 2015
Don't be suspicious of faith-based charities – let us speak truth to power
Angus Ritchie and Shana Cohen
Speaking out on public policy is a long-standing tenet for faith-based charities. Please don’t gag us
November 2015
Public servant: my letter to the public
This is not a plea for sympathy, but I want you to know police officers are people too
Nathan Constable
I have seen more misery than is good for anyone in a lifetime, and cuts are making the job even harder – but I will continue to do my best
What’s it worth?
When cuts are inevitable, how do police decide what gets left out?
Officers will have to make tough decisions, but work by the Met and West Midlands Police provides a starting point
Energy access
A global shift to 100% renewables is not just cleaner – it's about equality
Anna Leidreiter
Communities in Germany, Canada and Uganda are already reaping the benefits of moving away from fossil fuels to more decentralised energy systems
October 2015
Our socialist post office defies a government obsessed with austerity
David Stockdale
The UK's constitutional future is being decided behind closed doors
Katie Ghose
Why young people hate the jobcentre – or rather, the 'benefits processing centre'
Denise Hatton
Energy access
Energy co-ops: why the UK has nothing on Germany and Denmark
September 2015
The government wants to demolish your town. What do you do?
A new play invites audiences to argue whether a council should close down a mine or relocate their town, unleashing the passion of communities
In Cornwall, we refuse to give up our fire service to the police commissioner
Geoff Brown
The council is in a much better position to control fire and rescue than the cash-strapped and less popular police and crime commissioner
I do much more than police work. But if I don’t do it, who will?
Nathan Constable
I had a busy shift this week, with all the extra work police have taken on in recent decades. With so much inspection, I’m too scared to do less
August 2015
How local councils can help prevent female genital mutilation
FGM is child abuse, and affects hundreds of thousands of women and girls all over England and Wales. Every local authority must take action
How Santa Monica became the first city to measure its residents' wellbeing
Julie Rusk
Knowing how many people in the Californian city smile at each other on the street, and how much fruit they eat, will help us design better services
Connected world
10 steps to building a smart city
Connected world
Smart cities are about people not technology – video
Brighton Pride: 'It's bringing vibrancy, colour and success to our city'
Warren Morgan
February 2015
Britain's missing voters: why individual registration has been a disaster
More than 1 million voters have already dropped off the electoral register and 7 million more could follow after the 2015 election, explains Paul Wheeler
November 2014
What you need to know about mayors
Civil service survey: civil servants unhappy over pay and leadership
