Our World Is Local Cratus Group

In this latest episode of Our World is Local, our hosts Nick Kilby (Cratus Group) and Heather Jameson (The MJ) are joined by Jonathan Stephenson, Chief Executive at Brentwood Borough Council and Rochford District Council. During the discussion, Jonathan talks about the unique challenge of managing two councils that are not conjoined by a geographical border, and his own experience of election day dramas at the polling stations. Jonathan then goes on to talk about the advent of the P...

In this episode, Nick Kilby and Heather Jameson are joined by two special guests as we look ahead to next week's Local Elections that are taking place across England. Nick and Heather are first joined by New Local's Deputy Chief Executive Officer, Jessica Studdert, to talk about the upcoming election cycle and what it could mean for the state of national politics. Cratus Group's Duncan Flynn then joins the conversation to dive into the details regarding specific local authorities and the...

In this episode, Nick Kilby and Heather Jameson are joined by Rob Whiteman, who is the out-going Chief Executive of CIPFA.Rob is a well-known commentator and expert on public service reform and modernisation on a wide range of areas, and in 2008 was named one of the ten most influential people in local government by the Local Government Chronicle. The trio go in-depth during this conversation about the problems, and the potential solutions that exist in the ever-volatile world of local g...

In this special episode of Our World is Local, Nick Kilby and Heather Jameson travelled to the Leader's Office in the Birmingham City Council chambers to sit down with the Leader of the Council, John Cotton.In 2023, Birmingham City Council suffered the ignominy of having to issue not one but two section 114 notices. An effective bankruptcy order meaning that a council can no longer meet its financial obligations and needs government assistance. The root of the financial problems at Birmingham...

Ahead of the DCN Conference this week, Nick Kilby and Heather Jameson sat down to talk about the ongoing problems facing local government. The pair were also joined by Cratus' Charlotte Platten who reveals some council polling that is set to take place in the coming weeks, and casts an eye forward to the focus and direction of the District Councils.Hosted by Cratus Group CEO Nick Kilby and the Editor of The MJ, Heather Jameson, the ‘Our World is Local’ podcast is a space to learn about t...

Nick Kilby (Cratus Group) and Heather Jameson (The MJ) are back with the first episode of Our World is Local in 2024.Kicking things off for the new year is Dr Jonathan Carr-West, who is the Chief Executive of the Local Government Information Unit and a leading national expert on local government transformation.This conversation looks at the state of local government finances amid the rising level of debt facing local authorities nationwide, as recent analysis revealed that UK councils owe a c...