Problematic predictions
22/04/2021 Paul Wheeler looks at how the Super Thursday electoral feast is shaping up. He highlights the key trends that are marking these ‘postal vote elections’. |
Is local government falling out of love with mayors?
31/08/2018 If local government is to have a future, we need to be more confident in supporting directly-elected mayors at all levels, writes Paul Wheeler. |
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The blunt truth about voter ID
12/01/2017 Paul Wheeler on why the Government's plans requiring voters to present identification upon voting are in danger of becoming a form of voter suppression. |
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A ‘tight-loose’ approach to local government
30/08/2011 The Coalition is adopting a ‘tight-loose’ management style when it comes to announcements on local government, says Paul Wheeler. |
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Local winners… and losers
24/05/2011 With the political focus shifting to the 2012 elections, voters have left all the main political parties to absorb some important lessons, says Paul Wheeler |
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A step too far for political campaigning?
24/11/2010 Following the furore surrounding Phil Woolas’s disqualification from Labour over his political campaign, Paul Wheeler asks what impact the case could have on local government elections |
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Where’s the local leadership?
25/11/2009 The current local political status quo is ill-suited to providing the necessary cross-sector leadership for Total Place, says Paul Wheeler |
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Soap Box
27/09/2009 Local government can be proud of the interest shown in the Total Place project by the wider public sector. |
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Soap Box
01/10/2008 Sometimes it’s the personal which can put abstract policy into perspective, says Paul Wheeler |
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Soap Box
10/09/2008 Remember the saying nothing happens in August? Well, apart from a small war in Georgia, we also saw the abrupt departure of Tim Parker from the London Mayor’s office. |
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Soap Box
07/08/2008 I hope my non-London readers will indulge me if I mention two recent events in the capital – they have a wide relevance to the future of local democracy... |
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Soap Box
15/05/2008 Congratulations to all those new councillors elected last week – and commiserations to those who fell foul of the mood for revenge on your national parties... |
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Soap Box
15/04/2008 Here’s an interesting one for future enthusiasts of the game, Trivial Pursuits. What was the news that the unfortunate government adviser, Jo Moore, was trying to bury on 9/11? |
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Soap Box
19/03/2008 Sometimes life is about hard lessons. If we don’t want to see the majority of councillors become full time and we do want to see councillors being representative of the working population then the attitude of employers, large and small, is critical.. |
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Soap Box
21/02/2008 To-day we are all encouraged to be ‘story-tellers’, so it’s interesting to look at the perspective of one of the great story-tellers of our time. |
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Members Surgery
21/09/2007 Travel broadens the mind. Well that was certainly true of my recent visit to Vancouver... |
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A marriage made in heaven?
18/07/2007 Well it¹s certainly all change at the Department of Communities and Local Government. With a former councillor as a secretary of state and a well connected local government minister we have a formidable team. Plus a new and dynamic chairman of the LG |
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How to bring on the best
10/04/2007 As the Councillors Commission, set up to find ways of attracting younger and more diverse members, holds its first meeting, Paul Wheeler writes an open letter to its chair, Dame Jane Roberts. |
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PluggedIn
23/02/2007 The whistle has gone for the latest round of unitary status bids in shire England. Paul Wheeler asks a more general question on political governance. |
