LED Confidential

• Reorganising Local Government in England: 17 proposals, 56 councils -zero consensus?

  In this Espresso Shot episode, David and Mike dive into the September 2025 submissions for new unitary councils from Devolution Priority Programme areas in England—Norfolk, Suffolk, Greater Essex, Greater Sussex, Hampshire and Solent—and the 17 unitary proposals they’ve produced. With population sizes ranging from 146,000 to over 900,000, and council tax politics fueling local tensions, what does this wave of reorganisation mean for local economic development, placemaking and sector professionals? What does it mean for the future of devolved government in the country? Tune in to learn more!Access bonus material for this and other episodes over at the LEDC website: Bonus materials | LED Confidential

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  9:42

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  9:42
• Pride In Place Programme: promise or patchwork?

  In this Espresso Shot episode, David and Mike look at the UK Government's new Pride in Place strategy and funding programme—a £5 billion commitment to hyper-local economic development across hundreds of 'doubly disadvantaged' neighbourhoods. Is this a genuine shift towards community-led renewal, or just another fragmented initiative from the centre They revisit insights from previous episodes with John Denham and John Houghton, exploring how neighbourhood boards, capital funds, and devolved ambitions might (or might not) come together. Can Pride In Place deliver more than just pockets of progress? Tune in to learn more!Access bonus materials for this and other episodes over at the LEDC website: Bonus materials | LED Confidential

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  12:11

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  12:11
• Total Place 2.0 and the politics of belonging

  David and Mike are joined by John Denham—former UK Government Minister and present Director of the Centre for English Identity and Politics—to unpack the rise of English identity politics and its limplications for place-based inclusive growth in the country. From the imitations of current devolution strategies to the transformative potential of Total Place 2.0, LEDC explores how local leaders can build cohesive communities in an era of fragmentation. Expect insights on neighbourhood governance, multiculturalism, the importance of the everyday economy, and a call for long term vision in both national and local policy.John Denham's Substack: https://nationstateandpolitics.substack.com/

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  42:26

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  42:26
• Is economic inactivity now the UK's biggest growth challenge?

  In this episode David and Mike unpack the demographic shifts reshaping local economies. From the Bank of England’s warning on economic inactivity to the ONS’s mid-year population estimates and the so-called fertility crisis, the data paints a complex picture of ageing populations, challenges of out-migration in places, and worryingly low rates of labour market participation. How might transport policy, spatial planning, and extending access to further education reverse economic decline and better support people into work?

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  11:53

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• Political instability, organisational churn, and the rise of hyper-localism—how LED practitioners are adapting in uncertain times

  In this Espresso Shot episode, David and Mike explore the growing political instability reshaping local economic development and placemaking in the UK. With the Reform Party gaining ground, over 40% of English councils now in no overall control, and local government distracted by the looming reorganisation, what does this mean for forward planning, community cohesion, and officer-led decision making? From the Royal Geographical Society’s reflections to grassroots business networks stepping into the void, LEDC unpacks how practitioners are navigating uncertainty, rebuilding strategy from the ground up, and finding opportunity in hyper-localism.

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