LED Confidential – Details, episodes & analysis

In this Espresso Shot episode David and Mike explore the implications of the English Devolution Bill for local economic development across the UK

In this Espresso Shot episode David and Mike  talk Local Growth Plans and the new requirement on Combined Authorities and devolution deal areas in England to produce them. How should local leadership teams approach writing them? Tune in and find out more!

David and Mike discuss the March 2024 Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) publication of ‘Households below average income’ (HBAI) statistics (often referred to as ‘poverty statistics’) and what they tell us about the state of poverty and inequality in the UK today.

David and Mike unpack what is currently known about the Labour Party’s planned approach to local economic development and placemaking should it form the next UK Government.  

In March 2024, the Labour Party published Power and Partnership: Labour’s Plan to Power up Britain, and Rachel Reeves, the Shadow Chancellor, gave the MAIS lecture.

David and Mike dissect the findings and recommendations of the Public Accounts Committee's report into the UK Government's three showcase 'Levelling Up' funds.

David and Mike are joined by leading spatial economist Professor Philip McCann for a wide-ranging discussion on the UK's growing regional economic inequalities. Philip draws on his decades of cutting-edge research and experience from around the world to analyse what's gone wrong - and how we can put it right. Tune in to hear his insights on regional divergence, devolution and the data gaps that, until now, have obscured solutions. It's an illuminating look at the puzzles and priorities of place from one of the foremost experts in the field. Don't miss this in depth episode of LED Confidential!

David and Mike discuss how far the UK Government’s £4.7bn announcement of transport investment for the North and Midlands mitigates cancellation of HS2 beyond Birmingham.

On February 13th, the UK Government announced a further elaboration of their 2023 Long-Term Plan for Housing. “Every council in England will be told that they will need to prioritise brownfield developments and instructed to be less bureaucratic and more flexible in applying policies that halt housebuilding on brownfield land. “ David and Mike discuss what all this means for LEDC listeners, their cities, towns and regions.  

With think tank New Local publishing a paper calling for 'Total Place 2.0', David and Mike revisit their recollections of ‘Total Place 1.0' – the place based budgeting pilots of the Blair-Brown government. They consider why it remains a compelling idea, albeit with some very practical challenges.

New Local paper: https://www.newlocal.org.uk/articles/total-place-2-0-video-john-denham/

In this episode David and Mike are joined by Alex Hiniker, Director of the Sustainability Initiative at Carnegie Mellon University and facilitator of the first ever Voluntary Local Review (VLR) of the UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs), completed for New York City. Learn more about how the SDGs and the mechanism of the VLR can be an important and relevant driver for LED and placemaking.