Last day to register to vote! Why be bothered?

In this blog, City-REDI’s policy and data analyst Tasos Kitsos discusses economic insights on voting. Claxon! Last day to register to vote! It takes more time to read this blog than register to vote so if you only have 5 minutes, I’d rather you spend them here and ignore the text below. There are tens … Continue reading “Last day to register to vote! Why be bothered?”

“Article 218(11) TFEU, Opinion 2/15” or “Herding European Cats” and Post-Brexit Negotiations? The European Commission and the Negotiation of Free Trade Agreements

The following piece was written by City-REDI’s Prof. John Bryson. Managing academics is often described as a process that is more akin to herding cats – in other words, academics are impossible to manage, or perhaps very difficult to manage and their management is perhaps more akin to a process of negotiation. The more parties … Continue reading ““Article 218(11) TFEU, Opinion 2/15” or “Herding European Cats” and Post-Brexit Negotiations? The European Commission and the Negotiation of Free Trade Agreements”

The United Kingdom – Free Trade Nation or Foolish Nation? Beyond the Limitations of the Brexit Debate

The following piece was written by City-REDI’s Prof. John Bryson. I returned from Singapore recently having missed the media discussions of the results of the UK local elections. Nevertheless, the papers, radio and television are saturated with coverage of the June general election and Brexit. As I write this, the radio is on in the … Continue reading “The United Kingdom – Free Trade Nation or Foolish Nation? Beyond the Limitations of the Brexit Debate”

Welcoming our new City Orchestrators – enabling the music to play on, play loud and play far

The mayoral role is influencing, lobbying, persuading, networking, bringing people together and seeing possibilities, but it is also banging heads on occasion. A mayor is a conductor… at the centre of a network of institutions, bringing them together effectively and drawing on the ability of the wider organisations when needed. This is a unique centre … Continue reading “Welcoming our new City Orchestrators – enabling the music to play on, play loud and play far”

Brexit and the Lessons from Singapore – Geography Matters, Free Trade Agreements, Integrated Policy and Independence

The following piece was written by City-REDI’s Prof. John Bryson. This week is one spent in Singapore and this provides an opportunity and a stimulus to reflect on the relationship between Brexit, the UK and the example set by Singapore. Singapore comes with associations of free trade, global finance, a major Asian centre, integrated approaches … Continue reading “Brexit and the Lessons from Singapore – Geography Matters, Free Trade Agreements, Integrated Policy and Independence”

The Metro Mayor’s Election – 4 May 2017: A Comment on the Task Ahead for the New Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority

  In this blog, City-REDI’sProf. John Bryson provides his reflections on the day of the first ever West Midland’s Mayoral Election. The 4 May, today, is an important day for the West Midlands and especially for those living in this region that will live or work under the governance structure of the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). … Continue reading “The Metro Mayor’s Election – 4 May 2017: A Comment on the Task Ahead for the New Mayor of the West Midlands Combined Authority”

Understanding Brexit and migration: implications for Birmingham

On Tuesday 2nd May City REDI’s Catherine Harris presented her research on EU entrepreneurs in Birmingham in response to Brexit at the event Understanding Brexit and migration: implications for Birmingham. The event was held at the Impact Hub Digbeth and was a collaboration between the University of Birmingham and the University of Warwick. Birmingham is … Continue reading “Understanding Brexit and migration: implications for Birmingham”

Local Authority funding in the UK – More ‘graphs of doom’ ahead?

Local government funding has been under severe pressure since the 2008 crisis. This has stress-tested the local authority finances and capacities to identify efficiency savings leading to severe warnings such as Barnet Council’s graph of doom. In this blog, I am bringing together official figures of the drop in local authority funding in order to … Continue reading “Local Authority funding in the UK – More ‘graphs of doom’ ahead?”

Fiscal devolution in the UK – the facts

  Local government funding is once again coming to the fore, especially now that we are approaching the mayoral elections next week on the 4th May. In this blog, City-REDI’sTasos Kitsos discusses fiscal devolution in the UK compared to international experiences. No big introduction needed. This post looks into the numbers related to the extent … Continue reading “Fiscal devolution in the UK – the facts”

From Boston with Ducklings! Interdependent Challenges and Urban Living and the Management of Complex Cities

In this blog, Professor John Bryson, City-REDI, discusses his recent visit to Boston, for the Association of American Geographers: On Saturday 8 April 2017, the Urban Living Birmingham project organised two sessions at the annual conference of the Association of American Geographers, Boston. The sessions explored the integrated and interdependent challenges that are facing cities this … Continue reading “From Boston with Ducklings! Interdependent Challenges and Urban Living and the Management of Complex Cities”