Chris Mason: Spending Review a gamble on patience in an era of impatience

Labour is failing to reverse years of austerity for local government

By Tom Brake, Director of Unlock Democracy The spending review was perhaps this Labour government’s biggest moment so far. A chance to see its true colours, when despite parlous public finances, government priorities could shine through. If that’s the case, local democracy appears not to be among them. More than a decade of central government-imposed austerity on local councils looks set to continue. Ministers argue the government is focused on …

‘Hard to measure and difficult to shift’: the government’s big productivity challenge

Boosting living standards by fixing the structural problems in the economy has been prioritised by the government. There is no shortage of advice where to start.

Chris Mason: Spending Review a gamble on patience in an era of impatience

The big bet for the government remains on economic growth - finding it and sustaining it.