Truth about Local Government
by Matt Masters
Latest episode
Commerciality with Purpose: How Councils Can Deliver Lasting Impact
Commerciality with Purpose: How Councils Can Deliver Lasting Impact
About this podcast
Where Local Government Professionals Learn and Develop.
https://www.truthaboutlocalgovernment.com/
#YourGrowth #YourImpact #OurPassion.
Episodes
The newest 50 of 362 episodes
- Commerciality with Purpose: How Councils Can Deliver Lasting Impact · 25 min.In this episode of The Truth About Local Government, Matthew Masters sits down with Ostap Paparega, Deputy Chief Executive at Wyre Forest District Council, to explore how…
- Paying for Democracy: Are We Undervaluing Local Councillors? · 23 minIn this episode of The Truth About Local Government, Matthew Masters is joined by Professor Colin Copus, one of the UK's leading experts on local democracy and local political…
- The Strengths of Autism: Rethinking Neurodiversity in Public Service · 20 minIn this episode, we speak with Alex Manners, autism advocate, speaker and neurodiversity expert, about the strengths, talents and unique perspectives autistic people bring to…
- Constitutionalising English Local Government · 24 minIn this episode of The Truth About Local Government, Matthew Masters speaks with Professor Jonathan Davies about one of the most fundamental questions facing English local…
- Creating Autism-Friendly Schools: Lessons for Education and Beyond · 17 minIn this episode, Matt Masters speaks with autism expert Alex Manners about what it takes to create truly autism-friendly schools. Drawing on his own experiences of navigating…
- Creating Content That Matters for the Local Government Sector. · 17 minLocal government has never had more access to content, research, podcasts, reports and thought leadership. Yet with leaders under immense pressure and time constraints, how do we…
- Supporting Neurodivergent Members: Better Councils, Better Communities · 21 minNeurodivergent people are represented across every part of society, including local government, yet the conversation about supporting neurodivergent elected members is often…
- Autism in the Workplace Unlocking Neurodivergent Talent · 16 minLocal government continues to face significant workforce challenges, yet many organisations unintentionally create barriers that prevent autistic employees from reaching their…
- Powers you didn't know you had: The example of the Oxford temporary congestion charge · 22 minThis episode kicks off our mini-series on 'powers you didn't know you had', about powers that are either unknown, not recognised, or just felt to be too difficult to use, but may…
- Mapping the Future: Local Government Reorganisation, Political Change and Development Delivery · 23 minLocal Government Reorganisation is reshaping the local government landscape across England, creating new authorities, redefining political relationships and raising important…
- Creating Space for Reflection: Supporting Wellbeing Through Schwartz Rounds · 20 minPublic service can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also carry a significant emotional burden. Every day, local government employees support vulnerable residents, navigate…
- What Must Be True? The Six Conditions for Sustained Change in Local Government · 20 minLocal government leaders are being asked to achieve something unprecedented: maintain frontline services under intense financial and workforce pressures whilst simultaneously…
- What Good Looks Like: Delivering Housing Through Public–Private Partnership · 18 minIn this episode, Matthew Masters sits down with Faraz Baber to explore what great public–private partnership really looks like in practice and why it is critical to unlocking…
- Leading Public Sector Organisations Successfully: A Conversation with Steve Moore · 22 minIn this episode, I sit down with Steve Moore, former Chief Executive of NHS Devon and a senior NHS leader with more than 15 years’ experience operating at board and system level…
- Taking Control of Your Money – A Neurodivergent Perspective · 20 minIn this episode of The Truth About Local Government, Matthew Masters speaks with Esther Bangura, a Neurodivergent Money Coaching expert, about a topic rarely explored openly in…
- Early Help, Real Lives: Why Children Still Fall Between the Gaps · 23 minIn this episode of Truth About Local Government, Matthew Masters speaks with Natashia Leader, Founder and CEO of BrightPaths Support CIC, about why so many children and young…
- Upstream by Design: The Corporate Role in Making Prevention Real · 21 minIn this episode of The Truth About Local Government, Matt Masters is joined by Simon Higgins to explore why local government must focus on prevention, and why corporate services…
- Power‑Sharing and the Future of Councils: A Conversation with Abigail Gallop · 23 minThis episode explores how power‑sharing is reshaping the political and operational reality of local government. Matthew speaks with Abigail Gallop, Head of the Independent Group…
- Stepping Up, Stepping In: Lessons from Interim Leadership with Steve Gibling · 18 minInterim leadership is often seen as a holding pattern, a bridge between what was and what comes next. But for organisations in transition, an interim chief executive can be a…
- ABCD & Beyond: What Local Government Needs Next · 19 minIn this episode of The Truth About Local Government, we explore a bold new resource reshaping how councils think about community development: ABCD & Beyond: A Practical Guide for…
- Managing Conflicting Needs between Neurodivergent Colleagues · 23 minIn this episode, Matt sits down with Parul Singh, Founder of Parallel Minds, a neurodiversity consultancy shaping a more inclusive future for people working in tech and digital…
- Inside NW Employers’ New Report: Neurodiversity – Line-managers’ Experiences of Support Provision and Skill Gaps Within North West Local Government · 29 minIn this TALG episode, Matt is joined by Kev Collier, Strategic Lead – Learning & Development and Karen Roberts, Business Development Manager from North West Employers and Dr…
- Tracks to Transformation: How Transport and Regeneration Unlock Place Potential · 17 minTransport infrastructure doesn’t just move people, it moves markets, investment, and ambition. In this episode of Tracks to Transformation, Matt sits down with John Plumridge…
- The Moment That Matters: Matt Masters on Joining OPUS and the Future of Workforce Design · 25 minThis episode of The Truth About Local Government captures a pivotal moment in the evolution of public sector workforce leadership. Ben Dixon, Head of Workforce Solutions, is…
- Launching the LGR Initiative: Purpose, Partners & the Path Ahead · 21 minIn this episode, Matthew Masters sits down with Rowan Cole (COALFACE®) and Professor Amelia Hadfield (Centre for Britain and Europe, University of Surrey) to unpack the launch of…
- The Cost of Defiance: Local Government vs Sovereign Citizens · 20 minIn this episode, Matt speaks with David Bainbridge‑Zafar, General Manager of Operations at Gore District Council, New Zealand, about the rising challenge of sovereign citizen…
- Risk, Creativity and Collaboration: Rethinking Urban Infrastructure with CIVIC · 20 min“Risk, Creativity and Collaboration: Rethinking Urban Infrastructure with CIVIC” dives into how engineering can become a catalyst for better, more human‑centred places. Matt…
- Beyond the Numbers: Why Housing Quality Matters for Health, Homes and Local Systems · 19 minFor years, the national housing debate has been dominated by one metric: quantity. How many homes can we build, how quickly, and at what scale. But that fixation on numbers has…
- Before the Ballot: What Prospective Councillors Need to Know · 19 minToo many people step into elected office without a clear understanding of what the councillor role really involves, the workload, the emotional labour, the strategic…
- Enabling Better Outcomes: RPNA’s SA3 Approach in Bexley · 20 minIn this episode, the conversation centres on how RPNA is helping councils move beyond traditional transformation pitfalls to deliver better outcomes for residents. Ashley Roper…
- Surrey at the Frontline: Leadership, Reorganisation, and the Future of Local Government · 16 minMatt Masters sits down with Tim Oliver, Leader of Surrey County Council, for an in‑depth conversation about Surrey’s transformation journey and what it means to lead one of the…
- Corporate Landlord in Action: Nottinghamshire’s Blueprint for Smarter Assets and Stronger Places · 22 minNottinghamshire County Council has become one of the sector’s standout examples of what a modern, strategic corporate landlord approach can achieve. In this episode, Matt Masters…
- Care as a Public Good: Stopping the Drain on Local Communities · 20 minCare in the UK is at a breaking point. With 70% of local authority budgets consumed by care services, rising costs, and profits flowing to private equity and tax havens, the…
- Beyond the Blueprint: Why Behaviour Matters in Change Leadership. · 22 minIn this episode, we tackle a critical but often overlooked aspect of change management in local government: the human element. We’re joined once again by Kevan Collier, Strategic…
- Strong, Vibrant Communities: Why Town & Parish Councils Matter in Surrey’s LGR · 19 minSurrey is about to become the national test case for the government’s latest wave of local government reform, and the stakes couldn’t be higher. With two new unitary authorities…
- LGR in Flux: Delays, Direction & the Signals Behind the Shake‑Up · 19 minThis month’s deep dive into local government reorganisation brings a timely and candid conversation with Rowan Cole, Director at Coal Face Engagement, as we unpack the shifting…
- Building Inclusive Growth: Inside Newham’s Strategic Place Vision · 18 minIn this episode of Truth About Local Government, we dive into how the London Borough of Newham is turning its Growth Plan into reality. With a strong focus on inclusive economy…
- Beyond the Map: Why Governance Design Beats Structure in Local Government Reorganisation · 21 minLocal Government Reorganisation (LGR) isn’t just about drawing new boundaries it’s about what happens in the first 100 days when governance design, delegation, and political…
- The Legacy Coach: Rewriting Your Next Chapter · 21 minIn this episode of Truth About Local Government, I sit down with Averil Price author of The Legacy Coach: Your Next Chapter, Your Legacy, Your Way, available on Amazon. After…
- Creating a City of Culture: Insights from Arts, Health, and Innovation · 18 minIn this episode of Truth About Local Government, Matthew Masters speaks with Professor Rafaela Neiva, Professor in Public Sociology at Liverpool Business School and a leading…
- Rethinking Transformation in Local Government: A Smarter Approach to Success · 24 minTransformation in local government is often framed as a necessity driven by financial pressures, rising demand, and the need to modernise services. Yet, despite widespread…
- Culture as Catalyst: How Values-Driven Leadership Powers Organisational Change · 21 minIn this we had the pleasure of speaking with Emma Riley, Head of Strategic Partnerships at Barrett Values Centre, to explore the transformative power of organisational culture…
- Hull Forward: Leadership, Infrastructure, and Inclusive Growth – Insights from Leader, Councillor Mike Ross · 20 minIn this episode of Truth About Local Government, Matt Masters sits down with Councillor Mike Ross, Leader of Hull City Council, to explore the city’s ambitious plans for…
- Why Transformation Often Fails Within Local Government · 22 minTransformation is often seen as the fix for inefficiencies and budget pressures in local government, but many programmes fail to deliver lasting change. In this episode, Claire…
- Unlocking the Hidden Value: Rethinking Data in Social Care · 20 minIn this episode we sit down with Alexander Mileman, Founder of Achieving for Action to explore the transformative potential of the Social Care Value Index project. They discuss…
- Cambridge at the Crossroads: Growth, Justice and the Future of a Global City · 23 minIn this episode, we speak with Councillor Cameron Holloway, the Leader of Cambridge City Council, about the exciting developments and pressing challenges facing one of the UK’s…
- Incremental Creep in Governance – Why It Matters More Than You Think · 28 minThis special crossover episode features Matt Masters, host of The Truth About Local Government, in conversation with Kirsty Hunt, host of Governance Matters a podcast produced by…
- Beyond Boundaries: Leadership, Culture and the Future of Local Government · 20 minIn this energising episode of The Truth About Local Government, Matthew Masters speaks with Jonathan Stephenson, Chief Executive of Brentwood Borough and Rochford District…
- Ride the Wave: Local Growth, Fiscal Responsibility, and the Digital Future · 23 minIn this episode, Matthew Masters sits down with Joe Fyans, Head of Research at Localis, to discuss Ride the Wave a major new project supported by CIPFA and Core Cities. The…
- Independent but Influential: The Power of Non-Party Politics in Local Government · 17 minIn this episode, we had the privilege of interviewing Hannah Dalton, Independent Councillor and Leader of Epsom and Ewell Borough Council, to explore the unique and often…
