The Grenfell Tower tragedy was a shocking exception to a trend of improvement in safety. Fire deaths are down below 250 a year, the second lowest on record.
The Conservatives held a seat in Torridge. Labour held a seat in Ealing and two seats in Harlow.
It should be easier to call local referendums in the UK. Politics is too important to be left to the politicians.
Clumsy bans are not the answer – but local rules do need to be adapted to cope with Uber, Deliveroo and Airbnb.
Here is one firm’s account of how unnecessary costs and delay in the planning system holds them back. Timescales promised by councils are not honoured.
There is no evidence of funding cuts reducing school standards. But Ofsted does need enough staff to thoroughly assess the performance of classroom teachers.
Roger Scruton is advising the Government on ensuring new buildings are beautiful. But defeating the architectural establishment will not be easy.
The Conservatives lost a seat to Labour in Kirklees. Labour held a seat in Newham. The Lib Dems held a seat in South Gloucestershire.
Rather than being encouraged to maintain village halls and public lavatories, too often community efforts have been penalised by the tax system.
His recommendations look likely to be accepted. Greater diversity of type and design is to be encouraged – rather than the imposition of uniformity.
If the Cabinet Office won’t help defend democracy, why should ordinary citizens do it? The wrong signal is being sent out.
For councils – unlike others in the public sector – austerity has been real. It is ending. But planning powers are being diminished.
Meeting many of the global challenges depends on local action. We must to share best-practices and ideas.
Labour-run councils in Cardiff, Newport, and Neath Port Talbot see extra funding – while others have cuts imposed.
Labour’s Regional Development Agencies were a failure. But the successor bodies are proving much more effective.