Keep up to date with the latest news and events from around the department and the wide-ranging projects our staff and students get involved with.
More news throughout the School of Government and Society
Latest news
- Description
- What a relief to wake up on Friday morning, 4 May 2012, and know that Birmingham will not have a directly elected mayor. It was a most ill-informed referendum. The media, the business community (both Birmingham-based and national) and the government campaigned in favour. But the case against was hardly made at all until very close to the referendum, so there was little real discussion of what the new post would actually involve, or its advantages and disadvantages.
- Date:
- Friday 18th May 2012
- Description
- "Analysis in the aftermath of the referenda suggests that a number of factors contributed to the 'no' votes, but it is clear that the overriding sentiments within the electorate were uncertainty and confusion." Read the perspective...
- Date:
- Thursday 17th May 2012
- Description
- Given last week's frantic media interest in the local elections and the Mayoral referenda, some will find it quite remarkable as to how quickly the events have become old news. Rose Garden 2 has come and gone and even the Queen's Speech outlining the forthcoming legislative agenda has quickly gravitated to the inside pages; yet, for many of the newly elected councillors – over 500 in total – the real work has just started. Most will now be sworn in, horse trading for positions of prominence will be at fever pitch and senior officers and managers will be thinking of ways to develop new working relationships with fresh councillors and new administrations.
- Date:
- Monday 14th May 2012
- Description
- Monday 09 July 2012 - This seminar summarises the budgeting process and then focuses in on other areas where members can have most leverage. It looks at the timing of when to be involved as well as the tactics to use.
- Date:
- Monday 14th May 2012
- Description
- Wednesday 11 July 2012. This seminar addresses the proper role of Audit Committees. The most tangible benefit will come from focussing on risk management issues and those areas where the Council is not performing well. The Audit Committee must also be responsive to the changing needs of its own Council.
- Date:
- Monday 14th May 2012
- Description
- Last week, ten English cities voted on whether to alter the dynamics of leadership in their authorities and replace the current leader and cabinet formula with that of elected mayor, deputy, and cabinet. The rejection was almost unanimous, only Bristol registered a yes vote – but with a majority of less than seven per cent – and more than 60% of voters in Coventry, Leeds, Newcastle, Sheffield, and Wakefield prioritised the status quo above change.
- Date:
- Friday 11th May 2012
- Description
- Chris Game is a Visiting Lecturer at INLOGOV interested in the politics of local government; local elections, electoral reform and other electoral behaviour; party politics; political leadership and management; member-officer relations; central-local relations; use of consumer and opinion research in local government; the modernisation agenda and the implementation of executive local government.
- Date:
- Friday 27th April 2012
- Description
- Rhys Crilley, MA International Relations (Terrorism and Political Violence), reflects on his experiences during the Postgraduate Study trip to Delhi. Each year, a group of Masters students from across the School of Government and Society are given the opportunity to travel to Delhi, India, to take part in a week-long international module entitled 'Traditional and New Security Challenges: South Asia in Global Perspective'.
- Date:
- Friday 27th April 2012
- Description
- 24 - 26 September 2012 - This course is designed for those involved or interested in scrutiny in local government, but the principles are highly relevant for those involved in other kinds of scrutiny – of crime and policing, partnerships, or as nonexecutive members of boards or armslength agencies.
- Date:
- Thursday 19th April 2012
- Description
- 7 - 9 November 2012 - This course is designed for those involved or interested in scrutiny in local government, but the material covered here, i.e. applied research techniques for policy analysts, is extremely relevant to policy analysts, or those aspiring to become policy analysts, interested in learning about practical research and information gathering techniques.
- Date:
- Thursday 19th April 2012