The best local government blogs of 2013
Here’s our own selection of the best blogs we’ve published this year in local government - from cuts to cooperative councils, privatisation to local democracy.
A jobless generation: UK Govt creates worst youth unemployment in 20 years
“Latest figures from the Office for National Statistics (ONS) reveal that the level of long term youth unemployment has reached its worst since 1994. With 115,000 18-24 year olds out of work for longer than two years now, the UK government is creating a jobless generation.” Scriptonite looks at the dramatic rise in youth unemployment under the Coalition.
Service before self
“Above all I want the work that I do to matter and make a difference to people’s lives; only then will the internal critic of self-doubt and guilt quieten down for a while.” A guest blogger at We Love Local Government describes the very human impact of the cuts.
Frontline Friday 20th September 2013: Our favourite frontline blogs this week
Here’s our list of ten frontline blogs we’ve particularly liked from the week of 16th September 2013 – from the question of what are the Lib Dems for, to education and welfare reform, and the outsourcing of probation services.
Councils using zero hours, casual staff and the work programme
“This post lists the results of an FOI I recently sent to councils to get a rough idea of how many people councils employed on zero hours contracts or zero hours-type working arrangements and how many councils were using the work programme.” Kate Belgrave investigates the increasing use of zero-hours and casual work contracts in local authorities.
Trying to work but living below subsistence level
“What a shame it is that the welfare system is not designed to facilitate those people who want to work, even if only part time, but instead makes it impossible for them to work.” The Masked AMHP tells the story of a couple who typify the unintended consequences of recent welfare changes.
Frontline Friday 9th August 2013: Our favourite frontline blogs this week
Here’s our list of ten frontline blogs we’ve particularly liked from the week of 5th August 2013, from unemployment to zero hours contracts, property taxes to policing protests.
Here is how the UK Govt hid 1 million jobless from official unemployment figures
“One of the purported achievements of the Coalition Government’s disastrous economic policy of austerity, has been the unemployment figures. …In reality, the unemployment rate is more than double [the headline rate] in many areas.” Scriptonite Daily examines the truth about unemployment in the UK.
Attention all PO’s and PSO’s
I’ve been reading some exchanges over on the Napo forum website, and thank goodness there’s been some sign of life just recently. What particularly struck me was a response to a long and detailed post by ‘SaveProbation’ basically trying to rally the troops and get colleagues to wise up to the very real threat to our profession […]