What We Do
In a market filled with local government research initiatives, we believe that Localis makes a distinctive offering.
At a time when the great bulk of local authorities are conservative and when existing local government think tanks veer to the left, Localis offers a fresh and distinctive approach based on close links with Policy Exchange, Prospect’s think tank of the year 2006-7. Localis aims to influence policy makers and thinkers outside the local government village in clear, jargon-free language.
We are at a crossroads in considering how we govern ourselves. Debate has moved on: across all political parties it is recognised that the centralising trend of the past three decades has not delivered. In theory at least, we are all localists now. From here our priorities are to ensure that:
- government and government departments really let go;
- the emerging regime of inspection and targets does make local government more answerable to residents, not to central government;
- the current, unsustainable finance system is overhauled,
- ‘Double devolution’ really occurs – both of services to local governments and individuals and of enhanced community participation.
We need to move away from old-fashioned ideas of governance based on single coherent, geographically based communities. We need to look afresh at how best to ensure that communities – of whatever sort – are well served.
These questions are not party political. Localis is concerned to support the development of effective local governance as a whole.
Headlines
08 Jul 2008
Localis at LGA Conference
Merrick Cockell, Chairman of London Councils delivers speech on 'The spread of innovation between local authorities' at a Localis fringe reception at the LGA Conference 2008. To read the speech in full, click here
25 Jun 2008
James Morris gives evidence at Local Government Select Committee
James Morris gives evidence to a Parliamentary Select Committee on the 'Relationship between Central and Local Government'. See here to watch the meeting in full.
09 Jun 2008
The Million Vote Mandate: The Challenges facing Boris Johnson
The new Mayor of London, Boris Johnson, was elected a month ago with the votes of over 1 million Londoners. This has given him a considerable popular mandate.
Now, a new report from leading think tanks Policy Exchange and Localis, the local government and localist think tank, looks at the big issues the new Mayor will face in his first term as set out by some of the foremost experts and commentators on London politics.
The opening chapter of the report, written by award winning Evening Standard journalist Andrew Gilligan, analyses the positives ...
03 Jun 2008
Localis proposes a radical overhaul of the current system of regional governance
A new Localis Research Note entitled 'The Future of Regional Governance' suggests that the Government's case for Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) is based on little or no evidence, and that the current Sub-National Review (SNR) does not go far enough to devolve power to local authorities (LAs). The report proposes a dramatic overhaul of the current responsibilities of RDAs.
06 May 2008
From rhetoric to reality
James Morris writes about the policy challenges ahead and the future work programme of Localis
06 May 2008
Who is on the board of Localis?
James Morris is Chief Executive and the members of the board are Lord Hanningfield, Leader of Essex County Council; Paul Bettison, Leader of Bracknell Forest Borough Council; Paul Carter, Leader of Kent County Council ; Merrick Cockell, Leader of The Royal Borough of Kensington and Chelsea; and, Anthony Browne, the Director of Policy Exchange.
See here for further details of the current members of the Localis board
25 Apr 2008
Localis appoints a new Chief Executive
Localis, the leading independent think tank dedicated to the issues of localism and local government has appointed James Morris as its Chief Executive.
James Morris has a strong track record as a policy maker as the Director of the innovative campaign group Mind the Gap in 2003 and as the founding Director of the London Policy Institute. He has also been a successful software entrepreneur. As part of the appointment the London Policy Institute (LPI) (Read more
