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Reposted by Cassia Rowland

Stuart Hoddinott @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social · 1d

I'm increasingly convinced this is a huge driver of dissatisfaction with govt

Council tax is one of the most visible taxes that people pay, it goes directly out of their bank account and they get a letter about it going up every year

Yet bin collection frequency falls and libraries close

Rob Ford @robfordmancs.bsky.social · 1d

It is also deeply unhealthy to have local govts who don’t provide many visible/valuable services for most residents (because they lack the resources). Encourages distrust and populism - “what am I paying my council tax for? The council does nothing for me.”

Stephen Bush @stephenkb.bsky.social · 1d

Amazed this is still going ahead - basic and obvious problem is that essentially everything local government does now is for the poor. You can’t move it around without really hurting poor people somewhere!

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 2d

In case (like me!) you missed this in the frenzy of Labour conference, great thread here from Stuart on the gov’s ‘pride in place’ plans

Stuart Hoddinott @stuarthoddinott.bsky.social · 10d

The govt published its strategy to revitalise local communities last week

There is a heavy focus on directing funding to high streets and community spaces, which is part of the reason for declining "pride in place"

But it seems misguided for a few reasons

Short thread

www.gov.uk/government/p...

Pride in Place Strategy

The Pride in Place Strategy will help build stronger communities, create thriving places and empower local people.

www.gov.uk

Reposted by Cassia Rowland

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 6d

On Yom Kippur many Jewish people in Britain have their phones off to mark the holy day.

As it ends at 723pm, some will hear the tragic Manchester news for the first time.

At that time, please join many of us to send a message of solidarity to British Jews.Thanks Together coalition for proposing.

To everyone in Britain's Jewish Community: you are not alone.

We will not let hate or those who spread it win.

We stand with you.

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Reposted by Cassia Rowland

Sunder Katwala (sundersays) @sundersays.bsky.social · 6d

Terrible news that two people were killed in Manchester attending their place of worship at the synagogue in Manchester, with others seriously injured.

Community Security Trust @cstuk.bsky.social who do so much to keep Jewish people safe at faith and community spaces have issued this advice.

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Reposted by Cassia Rowland

Jon Collins @jonbcollins.bsky.social · 9d

I've had a look at the prison education statistics for last year and there's some good news in there, albeit very modest and from a low starting point.

Hard to see how that will be sustained, though, with upcoming budget cuts about to hit provision that was already chronically underfunded.

Russell Webster @russellwebster.com · 9d

Small gains in prison education at risk from budget cuts
@jonbcollins.bsky.social of @prisonersed.bsky.social reviews the latest performance figures in the shadow of looming budget cuts.
www.russellwebster.com/small-gains-...

Small gains in prison education at risk from budget cuts

Jon Collins of the Prisoners' Education Trust reviews the latest performance figures in the shadow of looming budget cuts.

www.russellwebster.com

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 12d

Interesting, I didn’t know that! That makes this even more a Big Complicated Task. Seems like it may also be the final death of ‘your legal name is what you call yourself‘, one of my favourite things about this country.

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 12d

There are some real potential benefits to digital ID: streamlining access to services, improving transparency & accessibility, reducing admin burden. But none of these are guaranteed and they're often tricky to pull off! Gov should start small with basic functionality and build from there.

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 12d

Great thread from Rachel. I'm surprised how many people are gamely declaring this won't be that complicated to deliver bc tech/infrastructure already exists & it's 'just linking databases'. a) *some* of the infrastructure already exists & b) linking databases can, actually, be extremely complicated!

Rachel Coldicutt @rachelcoldicutt.bsky.social · 12d

Here's the press release for digital ID and it is quite the shopping list of features. My first concern here is for the team who need to deliver quickly against the mix of a general purpose "do everything" app and a fairly specific set of features set out here www.gov.uk/government/n...

New digital ID scheme to be rolled out across UK

A new digital ID scheme will help combat illegal working while making it easier for the vast majority of people to use vital government services. Digital ID will be mandatory for Right to Work checks ...

www.gov.uk

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 12d

Really looking forward to this event at Labour party conference next week. Come along!

Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 12d

And finally, to wrap up our time in Liverpool, at 17:15, we will turn our attention to the criminal justice system and what the govt needs to do to rebuild it.

Chaired by @njdavies.bsky.social with Lord Timpson OBE, Deputy Mayor Kate Green, @fionarutherford.bsky.social @cassiarowland.bsky.social

An image ad for an IfG event at the Labour Party Conference 2025 in Liverpool.

How can the government rebuild the criminal justice system?
Tuesday 30 September | 17:15–18:15
Speakers:

Lord Timpson OBE, Minister of State for Prisons, Probation and Reducing Reoffending
Deputy Mayor Kate Green, Deputy Mayor for Safer and Stronger Communities, Greater Manchester
Fiona Rutherford, Chief Executive of JUSTICE
Cassia Rowland, Senior Researcher at the Institute for Government
This event will be chaired by Nick Davies, Programme Director at the Institute for Government.

This event is in partnership with JUSTICE.

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Penelope Gibbs @penelopegibbs.bsky.social · 13d

On the day gov stats show delays increasing in the mags' courts our team are going through findings of our volunteers who observed mags' courts in London this year. Their reflections show why justice is slow & why the process is often not very just.

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 13d

Delighted to be the @instituteforgovernment.org.uk nominee for Researcher of the Year at the @smartthinking.bsky.social think tank awards! Looking forward to entertaining all my fellow nominees with tales of public service performance at the award ceremony in November.

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Ben Paxton @drbenpaxton.bsky.social · 14d

Government spends >£400bn each year (!!!) buying stuff from the private and voluntary sectors. With a tricky budget coming up and Starmer's focus on delivery, our new report sets out the role procurement can play in delivering mission-led government
www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

The role of procurement in delivering mission-led government | Institute for Government

How can the government remove the barriers to its missions?

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

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Reposted by Cassia Rowland

Thomas Pope @tompope.bsky.social · 14d

New @instituteforgovernment.org.uk report by me, @gemmatetlow.bsky.social and @jillongovt.bsky.social on how Reeves should approach tax this Autumn

With tax rises inevitable, Reeves should reject path of least resistance and embrace tax reform 1/3

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/publication/...

The 2025 budget and beyond: How Rachel Reeves can approach tax reform to help drive growth | Institute for Government

A big autumn approaches for the chancellor.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

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Reposted by Cassia Rowland

Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 20d

We will be in Bournemouth for the Lib Dem Conference from Sunday 21 September until Monday 22 September.

Our first event will be an in conversation with Sir Nick Clegg on his new book on big tech, AI and political conflict - join us at 19:45 at Tregonwell Hall

A banner from the Institute for Government for an event at the Liberal Democrat Party Conference in Bournemouth.

Sir Nick Clegg in conversation: Big Tech, AI and Political Conflict
Sunday 21 September | 19:45-20:45
Speaker:

Sir Nick Clegg, former Deputy Prime Minister and Leader of the Liberal Democrats
This event will be chaired by Dr Hannah White, Director and CEO of the Institute for Government.

Location: Tregonwell Hall, Bournemouth International Centre

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 21d

I‘m heading to Labour Party conference! Thrilled to be speaking on this panel alongside prisons minister Lord Timpson and @fionarutherford.bsky.social from JUSTICE. Please come along, and drop me a DM if you want to grab a coffee and chat public services/criminal justice/digital reform.

Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 21d

IfG at Labour Party Conference | How can the government rebuild the criminal justice system?

Join us in Liverpool for our last event of Labour Party Conference, with Lord Timpson OBE, @fionarutherford.bsky.social @cassiarowland.bsky.social

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/event/ifg-la...

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Institute for Government @instituteforgovernment.org.uk · 22d

The government is taking the right approach to sentencing reform

It must resist pressure to water down its proposals, says @cassiarowland.bsky.social www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk/comment/gove...

The government is taking the right approach to sentencing reform | Institute for Government

There is a lot to welcome in the Sentencing Bill.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

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Jon Collins @jonbcollins.bsky.social · 22d

This is v.good by @cassiarowland.bsky.social on the Sentencing Bill, including the potential benefits of earned progression if it can be implemented properly if/when current pressures on the prison system subside.

Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 22d

Let's face it, it's not often I get to say nice things about what's happening in criminal justice. But the Sentencing Bill, up before the Commons today, is an exception! It's not perfect, but there's lots to like and the gov should hold firm against pressure to water down proposals. 🧵

The government is taking the right approach to sentencing reform | Institute for Government

There is a lot to welcome in the Sentencing Bill.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 22d

It's about a £700m increase (by 28/29, compared to 25/26). So not pocket change!

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 22d

MoJ have set recruitment goals for trainees: 1,000 in 24/25 (which they hit) and another 1,300 in 25/26. But that's still leaves them far short of est. total needed. And of course training & supervising new recruits puts a lot of pressure on experienced staff, as we've seen in policing!

www.bbc.co.uk

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 22d

Gov has promised big increase in probation funding over this spending review period (~45%). Not clear how much of that is to support massive expansion of tagging vs more staff, which is the current bottleneck. They are training up new probation officers but impossible to replace lost experience.

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 22d

The government is likely to face a lot of pressure to water down its proposals - e.g. excluding those convicted of domestic abuse or sexual offences. These will be hard to resist. But it should hold firm: these reforms are sensible and urgently needed.

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 22d

Tying early release to 'purposeful activity' in prison like this won't be possible in the short-term, given the state of things, but as conditions improve it should be possible if the gov wants to explore that.

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 22d

Strong evidence suggests sentences in the community are more effective at preventing reoffending than short prison sentences, including for repeat offenders. Earned progression can also be a real positive, if it can be used to encourage education & employment while in prison...although:

Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 24d

This is moving in exactly the wrong direction! Education & meaningful activity in prison is crucial to reducing violence and improving outcomes

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 22d

When the sentencing review was first published, the gov only committed to some of its recommendations, which I argued was a mistake. It's now gone a lot further. These reforms don't just ease pressure on prisons - they should cut reoffending as well.

Key omissions risk undermining the government’s bold sentencing goals | Institute for Government

Not all of David Gauke's recommendations have been taken on by the government.

www.instituteforgovernment.org.uk

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Cassia Rowland @cassiarowland.bsky.social · 22d

Early releases & reducing time in prison are not popular, to say the least. The gov deserves credit for grasping the nettle and taking action appropriate to the scale of the problem. As PM, Sunak repeatedly resisted calls to implement the emergency release measures & brought the system to the brink.

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