Truth about Local Government

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...

“Risk, Creativity and Collaboration: Rethinking Urban Infrastructure with CIVIC” dives into how engineering can become a catalyst for better, more human‑centred places. Matt Masters sits down with Stephen O’Malley, Chief Executive of CIVIC, to explore how their philosophy of “civility from civil engineering” challenges long‑held conventions in the built environment. In just 20 minutes, Stephen unp...

For 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 pushed a more fundamental question into the background, are the homes we build, manage, and retrofit actually good for people’s health? In this episode, Matt Masters is joined by Faye Sanders, Doctoral Researcher in Housing...

Too many people step into elected office without a clear understanding of what the councillor role really involves, the workload, the emotional labour, the strategic responsibility, and the sheer breadth of services they’ll be accountable for. In this episode Matt sits down with sector leader, trainer, mentor, and long‑serving Kingston councillor Liz Green to explore her 3S model, Stewardship, Str...

In this episode, the conversation centres on how RPNA is helping councils move beyond traditional transformation pitfalls to deliver better outcomes for residents. Ashley Roper introduces RPNA’s Digital Foundations , a strategic assessment tool designed to help local authorities understand their readiness for change and identify the most impactful areas for intervention. The SA3 process was recent...

Matt 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 country’s most complex local government systems. With Surrey often viewed as the first major test case for large‑scale reorganisation, Tim reflects on the pressures, opportunities, and leadership choices shaping the counci...

Nottinghamshire 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 sits down with Wayne Bexton, Director of Economy, Environment and Assets , to unpack how Nottinghamshire has reshaped its estate, accelerated disposals, unlocked capital receipts, and used regeneration as a lever for long...

Care 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 system is failing the people it’s meant to serve. New research from the Centre for Local Economic Strategies, Centre for Thriving Places, Cooperatives UK and the New Economics Foundation reveals that in just three regions, pri...

In 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 Learning and Organisational Development Lead at North West Employers, to explore how senior leadership teams can better understand the behavioural dynamics that make or break change programmes. We discuss why technical p...

Surrey 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 on the horizon, concerns are growing that statutory pressures and inherited financial challenges could push community services, local assets, and neighbourhood-level engagement to the margins. In this episode, we explore S...

This 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 landscape of LGR and what the latest developments really mean for councils, leaders, and local politics. Rowan joins me to break down what has changed , why the Government has delayed elections , and how this fits with the...

In 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 , community wealth building , and strategic investment , Newham is shaping a future where growth benefits everyone. Joining me is Darren Mackin , Director of Place-Making at the London Borough of Newham, to share what the...