Kirsty Weakley
@kirstyweakley.bsky.social
Journalist for Local Government Chronicle
I've read all four business cases for LGR in Essex (for a combination of work and personal reasons...)
Firstly I would like some sort of prize!
Secondly I've spoke to those involved and written about it ⬇️
www.lgcplus.com/politics/gov...
Firstly I would like some sort of prize!
Secondly I've spoke to those involved and written about it ⬇️
www.lgcplus.com/politics/gov...
Four ways for Essex: The competing cases for LGR
With four different visions for LGR in Essex, LGC looks at what the arguments are
www.lgcplus.com
October 8, 2025 at 11:05 AM
I've read all four business cases for LGR in Essex (for a combination of work and personal reasons...)
Firstly I would like some sort of prize!
Secondly I've spoke to those involved and written about it ⬇️
www.lgcplus.com/politics/gov...
Firstly I would like some sort of prize!
Secondly I've spoke to those involved and written about it ⬇️
www.lgcplus.com/politics/gov...
Instead of the pink tupperware tub with my lunch in, I picked up the blue tupperware tub with a block of cheese in... hoping to style it out as a new diet fad
October 7, 2025 at 12:49 PM
Instead of the pink tupperware tub with my lunch in, I picked up the blue tupperware tub with a block of cheese in... hoping to style it out as a new diet fad
Today hardly seems like the most appropriate timing for a pro Palestine protest at Liverpool St station
October 2, 2025 at 5:13 PM
Today hardly seems like the most appropriate timing for a pro Palestine protest at Liverpool St station
This year’s travel trauma to Labour party conference has involved a rail replacement bus to London and no coffee available on the train to Liverpool 🥴
September 28, 2025 at 8:34 AM
This year’s travel trauma to Labour party conference has involved a rail replacement bus to London and no coffee available on the train to Liverpool 🥴
A reshuffle this extensive will have fans of stories about XX number of housing ministers in XX years reaching for their calculators...
September 5, 2025 at 4:05 PM
A reshuffle this extensive will have fans of stories about XX number of housing ministers in XX years reaching for their calculators...
On LGC we have the Big Story from yesterday's PMQs - a pledge to give councils more powers to block too many gambling shops www.lgcplus.com/politics/dev...
PM pledges new council powers over gambling shops
The prime minister has backed calls for more powers for councils to tackle the prevalence of high-street gambling shops
www.lgcplus.com
September 4, 2025 at 11:21 AM
On LGC we have the Big Story from yesterday's PMQs - a pledge to give councils more powers to block too many gambling shops www.lgcplus.com/politics/dev...
I have written about what the submissions to the Fair Funding 2.0 tell us via the Lion King, with some sympathy for the villain Scar
www.lgcplus.com/politics/lgc...
www.lgcplus.com/politics/lgc...
scar from the lion king looking at a small animal with the words life 's not fair is it below him
Alt: scar from the lion king looking at a small animal with the words life 's not fair is it below him
media.tenor.com
August 22, 2025 at 8:00 AM
I have written about what the submissions to the Fair Funding 2.0 tell us via the Lion King, with some sympathy for the villain Scar
www.lgcplus.com/politics/lgc...
www.lgcplus.com/politics/lgc...
As part of LGC's Councillors for the 21st century campaign I investigated disparities in allowances
Key findings:
🔹 average basic allowance ranges from £18,000 to £5,200
🔹 average the leader’s allowance is £36,269
🔹 24 leaders receive less than the average income in their area
Key findings:
🔹 average basic allowance ranges from £18,000 to £5,200
🔹 average the leader’s allowance is £36,269
🔹 24 leaders receive less than the average income in their area
August 13, 2025 at 11:54 AM
As part of LGC's Councillors for the 21st century campaign I investigated disparities in allowances
Key findings:
🔹 average basic allowance ranges from £18,000 to £5,200
🔹 average the leader’s allowance is £36,269
🔹 24 leaders receive less than the average income in their area
Key findings:
🔹 average basic allowance ranges from £18,000 to £5,200
🔹 average the leader’s allowance is £36,269
🔹 24 leaders receive less than the average income in their area
It is not often that anyone, particularly me, has anything positive to say about the social care system... and yet I have managed it (almost) after attending the launch of the Essex Caring Communities Commission report launch
www.lgcplus.com/services/hea...
www.lgcplus.com/services/hea...
Avoiding the social care doom spiral
Head of content Kirsty Weakley on looking for the slivers of optimism in social care Today's news and views Wessex councils make devo plans IFS urges
www.lgcplus.com
August 8, 2025 at 8:47 AM
It is not often that anyone, particularly me, has anything positive to say about the social care system... and yet I have managed it (almost) after attending the launch of the Essex Caring Communities Commission report launch
www.lgcplus.com/services/hea...
www.lgcplus.com/services/hea...
This is fascinating and I have obviously cancelled all my work this afternoon to ask AI Mark Sewards niche local government questions...
www.politicshome.com/news/article...
www.politicshome.com/news/article...
I Spoke To Britain's First AI MP And It Got A Bit Weird
If you ever wanted to ask an AI version of your MP what vegetable they would be, or get some relationship advice from a virtual politician, today m...
www.politicshome.com
August 7, 2025 at 11:23 AM
This is fascinating and I have obviously cancelled all my work this afternoon to ask AI Mark Sewards niche local government questions...
www.politicshome.com/news/article...
www.politicshome.com/news/article...
Looks like it's devo bill day today
July 10, 2025 at 8:05 AM
Looks like it's devo bill day today
It is improvised air con weather in the home office 🥵
June 30, 2025 at 2:16 PM
It is improvised air con weather in the home office 🥵
When I dreamed of being a political journalist I never imagined that one day I would write 800 words (largely supportive words) about a former prime minister's toilet... and yet here we are
www.lgcplus.com/finance/bog-...
www.lgcplus.com/finance/bog-...
Bog standard session enlivened by Sunak's legacy | Local Government Chronicle (LGC)
The former prime minister is rightly proud to have just opened a new toilet, and not just because it livened up an otherwise dull session in Parliament,
www.lgcplus.com
June 11, 2025 at 8:28 AM
When I dreamed of being a political journalist I never imagined that one day I would write 800 words (largely supportive words) about a former prime minister's toilet... and yet here we are
www.lgcplus.com/finance/bog-...
www.lgcplus.com/finance/bog-...
Reposted by Kirsty Weakley
Strong call from Robin Tuddenham SOLACE and Calderdale for Total Place 2.0 www.lgcplus.com/politics/gov...
Robin Tuddenham: Bring back Total Place at Spending Review | Local Government Chronicle (LGC)
A failure to grasp this opportunity will only further entrench fragmentation and frustration, writes the president of the Society of Local Authority Chief
www.lgcplus.com
June 3, 2025 at 2:33 PM
Strong call from Robin Tuddenham SOLACE and Calderdale for Total Place 2.0 www.lgcplus.com/politics/gov...
For tonight’s LGC Briefing I wrote about the carrot and stick approach to planning reform (and overshared about my weekend)
www.lgcplus.com/politics/lgc...
www.lgcplus.com/politics/lgc...
May 27, 2025 at 6:00 PM
For tonight’s LGC Briefing I wrote about the carrot and stick approach to planning reform (and overshared about my weekend)
www.lgcplus.com/politics/lgc...
www.lgcplus.com/politics/lgc...
It might be the sun, it might be that I am running out ways to write about social care being broken... but today I have been channeling American rapper Jay-Z
www.lgcplus.com/politics/lgc...
www.lgcplus.com/politics/lgc...
Social care has 99 problems, but overseas staff ‘aint one | Local Government Chronicle (LGC)
The government should start with a credible, funded and fast plan to fix social care, before choking off the supply of overseas workers writes head of
www.lgcplus.com
May 13, 2025 at 4:18 PM
It might be the sun, it might be that I am running out ways to write about social care being broken... but today I have been channeling American rapper Jay-Z
www.lgcplus.com/politics/lgc...
www.lgcplus.com/politics/lgc...
Starmer seemed to manage to do that whole speech on migration without mentioning care sector workforce...
May 12, 2025 at 7:45 AM
Starmer seemed to manage to do that whole speech on migration without mentioning care sector workforce...
Enjoyed my trip to Cambridge last week for a mayoral candidate debate where there were so may signs for a plant sale and not so much evidence of an election happening...
www.lgcplus.com/politics/dev...
www.lgcplus.com/politics/dev...
April 29, 2025 at 4:32 PM
Enjoyed my trip to Cambridge last week for a mayoral candidate debate where there were so may signs for a plant sale and not so much evidence of an election happening...
www.lgcplus.com/politics/dev...
www.lgcplus.com/politics/dev...
Feel the need to announce to everyone on the train that I started this last week and need to finish soon as it’s for book club at the weekend but that I’m not some weirdo really into pope deaths…
April 22, 2025 at 5:24 PM
Feel the need to announce to everyone on the train that I started this last week and need to finish soon as it’s for book club at the weekend but that I’m not some weirdo really into pope deaths…
With just over two weeks to go until polling day I had a look at how the campaigns are going so far (tl;dr momentum is with the smaller parties) and a bit of a grumble about party leaders speaking about things that new councillors won't have any control over after the elections
Largest parties on the campaign back foot | Local Government Chronicle (LGC)
With just over two weeks to go until polling day momentum is with the smaller parties, for now, writes head of content Kirsty Weakley. Today's news
www.lgcplus.com
April 16, 2025 at 10:38 AM
With just over two weeks to go until polling day I had a look at how the campaigns are going so far (tl;dr momentum is with the smaller parties) and a bit of a grumble about party leaders speaking about things that new councillors won't have any control over after the elections
Just catching up on the Sunday morning politics shows to see Kemi Badenoch on county council elections ‘You are deciding who is going to look after rubbish collection, who is going to make planning decisions, where homes will be built…’
no wonder people in two tier areas are confused
no wonder people in two tier areas are confused
April 6, 2025 at 11:24 AM
Just catching up on the Sunday morning politics shows to see Kemi Badenoch on county council elections ‘You are deciding who is going to look after rubbish collection, who is going to make planning decisions, where homes will be built…’
no wonder people in two tier areas are confused
no wonder people in two tier areas are confused
This was, hopefully obviously by the end, our April fool joke... though it would sometimes make a news editor's job easier if counicllors were colour coded
Ministers are considering new rules that would make it easier to clearly identify a councillor’s political affiliation, LGC understands
www.lgcplus.com/politics/gov...
www.lgcplus.com/politics/gov...
New rules for councillor presentation in the pipeline | Local Government Chronicle (LGC)
Ministers are considering new rules that would make it easier to clearly identify a councillor’s political affiliation, LGC understands. The plans are
www.lgcplus.com
April 1, 2025 at 11:20 AM
This was, hopefully obviously by the end, our April fool joke... though it would sometimes make a news editor's job easier if counicllors were colour coded
Ministers are considering new rules that would make it easier to clearly identify a councillor’s political affiliation, LGC understands
www.lgcplus.com/politics/gov...
www.lgcplus.com/politics/gov...
New rules for councillor presentation in the pipeline | Local Government Chronicle (LGC)
Ministers are considering new rules that would make it easier to clearly identify a councillor’s political affiliation, LGC understands. The plans are
www.lgcplus.com
April 1, 2025 at 8:11 AM
Ministers are considering new rules that would make it easier to clearly identify a councillor’s political affiliation, LGC understands
www.lgcplus.com/politics/gov...
www.lgcplus.com/politics/gov...
I'm a big fan of data (just ask any reporter who I've nagged to make charts) but when it comes to LGR human beings will need to make judgments, consider the trade off and be accountable for the results
My LGC briefing ⬇️
www.lgcplus.com/politics/dev...
My LGC briefing ⬇️
www.lgcplus.com/politics/dev...
Data has limitations when it comes to LGR | Local Government Chronicle (LGC)
Data is useful but can be contradictory and incomplete, writes head of content Kirsty Weakley News and views Kent & Medway seek clarification over
www.lgcplus.com
March 21, 2025 at 11:21 AM
I'm a big fan of data (just ask any reporter who I've nagged to make charts) but when it comes to LGR human beings will need to make judgments, consider the trade off and be accountable for the results
My LGC briefing ⬇️
www.lgcplus.com/politics/dev...
My LGC briefing ⬇️
www.lgcplus.com/politics/dev...
Really interesting discussion about mayors and their role in economic growth at the Institute for Government yesterday which really brought home just how much change is coming
My Local Government Chronicle Briefing here www.lgcplus.com/politics/dev...
My Local Government Chronicle Briefing here www.lgcplus.com/politics/dev...
From soft power to hard power | Local Government Chronicle (LGC)
With more mayoral powers coming down the line and strategic authorities being established across the country it is important mistakes are not repeated,
www.lgcplus.com
March 13, 2025 at 8:56 AM
Really interesting discussion about mayors and their role in economic growth at the Institute for Government yesterday which really brought home just how much change is coming
My Local Government Chronicle Briefing here www.lgcplus.com/politics/dev...
My Local Government Chronicle Briefing here www.lgcplus.com/politics/dev...