Truth about Local Government

In 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 leadership, alongside Ray Tomkinson , experienced local government improvement specialist and former senior local authority leader, to explore a question that goes to the heart of local democracy: are we paying councillors...

In this episode, we speak with Alex Manners , autism advocate, speaker and neurodiversity expert, about the strengths, talents and unique perspectives autistic people bring to organisations and communities. Together, we explore how public services can move beyond autism awareness and towards genuine appreciation of neurodiverse thinking. Alex shares insights from his lived experience, discussing t...

In 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 government: should local government be constitutionally recognised and protected? England remains unusual among mature democracies in lacking constitutional safeguards for local government. Councils are created by Parliament an...

In 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 education as an autistic young person, Alex shares what school was like growing up and reflects on the challenges and opportunities he encountered along the way. Together, they explore how schools, academy trusts and local au...

Local 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 ensure the content being produced actually helps drive innovation, challenge thinking and improve services? In this episode of The Truth About Local Government , Matt Masters is joined by Ian Mensah-Stapleton, Founder of...

Neurodivergent people are represented across every part of society, including local government, yet the conversation about supporting neurodivergent elected members is often overlooked. In this episode of The Truth About Local Government , Simon Bowers interviews Matt Masters about why councils should be doing more to recognise, support and develop neurodivergent councillors. The discussion explor...

Local government continues to face significant workforce challenges, yet many organisations unintentionally create barriers that prevent autistic employees from reaching their full potential. In this episode, Matt Masters is joined by autism and neurodiversity advocate Alex Manners to explore what it is really like to enter, navigate and succeed in the workplace as an autistic professional. Drawin...

This 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 offer opportunities to address problems faced by our communities. We talk with Aron Wisdom of Oxfordshire County Council about the Oxford Temporary Congestion Charge, Aron's experience of introducing the charge, and lesso...

Local Government Reorganisation is reshaping the local government landscape across England, creating new authorities, redefining political relationships and raising important questions about how places will be planned, governed and developed in the years ahead. In this episode of The Truth About Local Government , we explore DevComms' new interactive LGR mapping tool and discuss what it reveals ab...

Public service can be incredibly rewarding, but it can also carry a significant emotional burden. Every day, local government employees support vulnerable residents, navigate difficult situations and make decisions that have a profound impact on people's lives. In this episode, Matt Masters is joined by Anna Syson, Head of Workforce Policy and Wellbeing at Cambridgeshire County Council, to explore...

Local government leaders are being asked to achieve something unprecedented: maintain frontline services under intense financial and workforce pressures whilst simultaneously redesigning organisations for a rapidly changing future. In this episode of The Truth About Local Government , Matt Masters is joined by Paul Knight, Co-Founder of RPNA and author of What Must Be True? , alongside Adam Hill,...

In 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 housing delivery and economic growth across the UK. Drawing on his experience working across both local government and the private sector, Faraz shares a candid view of where partnerships succeed, where they fall short, and w...

In 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 across complex, highly regulated environments. We explore what it really takes to lead public sector organisations successfully: setting direction in ambiguity, balancing performance with purpose, leading through financial...

In 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 the public sector, our relationship with money. The conversation unpacks how neurodivergence can shape financial behaviours, from avoidance and overwhelm to impulsivity and perfectionism, and why traditional approaches to...

In 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 people still struggle to access the right emotional wellbeing support early enough. Public descriptions of BrightPaths Support CIC say the organisation provides early intervention support through one-to-one mentoring, group...

In 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 have a critical and often underestimated, role to play in making prevention succeed . While prevention is often associated with frontline services, Simon and Matt argue that sustainable, effective prevention only works w...

This 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 at the Local Government Association (LGA), about the rapid rise of multi‑party councils , the decline of single‑party dominance, and what these shifts mean for leadership, accountability, and democratic culture. Drawing o...

Interim 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 stabiliser, a strategist and a catalyst for clarity. In this episode, Matt Masters speaks with Steve Gibling , Interim Chief Executive of Selwyn District Council and former Interim CEO at Buller District Council, about what i...

In 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 Local Government . Matt is joined by two of the book’s authors, Dee Brooks , Director of the Jeder Institute and International Liaison for the ABCD Institute, and Lee Griffiths , community development practitioner, f...

In 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 roles. Parul brings a rare combination of professional expertise, lived experience, and deep sector insight, challenging organisations to rethink how they support neurodivergent talent and to build environments where ever...

In 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 Sarah Crozier, Reader in Occupational Psychology, Department of People and Performance, Faculty of Business and Law, Manchester Metropolitan University to explore their newly released thought‑leadership report: Neurodivers...

Transport 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 , former Director of Estates & Facilities at Birmingham City University, to explore how transport and regeneration work together to unlock the economic potential of a place. John shares the inside story of STEAMhouse , o...

This 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 joined by Matt Masters, the newly appointed Head of Executive Workforce Solutions at OPUS People Solutions, for a candid and energising conversation about purpose, alignment and the future of talent in local government. Matt r...

In 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 Local Government Reorganisation (LGR) Initiative , a new national partnership designed to reshape the future of local government in England. Matt opens the conversation by exploring why the LGR Initiative has emerged...

In 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 ideology in small communities. Gore’s population of 14,000 means the impact is deeply personal: the individuals rejecting government authority aren’t anonymous, they’re neighbours, former colleagues, and long‑standing commu...