Truth about Local Government

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 council’s future. This episode offers a candid look at decision‑making, system change, and the realities of steering a county through uncertainty, ambition, and national attention.

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‑term place impact.
Wayne shares the thinking behind their model, the practical steps that made the biggest difference, and the cultural and organisational shifts required to make it stick. From governance to data, from political alignment to community outcomes, this conversation offers a grounded, honest look at what it really takes to deliver a corporate landlord approach that works.
Perfect for Directors of Place, Heads of Property, Section 151 Officers, and anyone navigating the complexity of estate transformation in local government.

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, private care providers extracted £256 million in profit over three years, while care workers, disproportionately women and those from global majority backgrounds are often paid below the Real Living Wage.
In this episode, Matt Masters speaks with Rosie Maguire, Policy and Programme Manager at the Centre for Thriving Places. Rosie has spent the last 15 years helping organisations use evidence to shape strategy, research, and learning. She works with civil society and the public sector to identify goals, priorities, and how insights can inform better decisions. Together, they explore why care has become a commodity, how this extraction undermines communities, and what a fair, community-focused alternative looks like.

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 plans and project timelines aren’t enough, and how neglecting the emotional, psychological, and cultural dimensions of change can lead to resistance, burnout, and failure. Kevan shares practical insights on how to help leadership teams see the bigger picture and how to embed behavioural thinking into the heart of transformation efforts.

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 Strong, Vibrant Communities, a new report from the Surrey Association of Local Councils (SALC), which argues that town and parish councils must play a far greater role in the transition. Drawing on lessons from Cornwall’s successful double‑devolution model, SALC is calling for a Devolution Board, clear frameworks for asset and service transfers, and a programme to establish new local councils in currently unparished areas.
We’re joined by Deborah Sherry, SALC Chair and a councillor at Woldingham Parish Council. With a fascinating blend of private‑sector leadership and public‑sector experience, Deborah brings a unique perspective on what genuine localism looks like, and what Surrey risks losing if it gets this moment wrong. Together, we unpack the opportunities, the risks, and the practical steps needed to ensure residents continue to live in strong, vibrant communities throughout and beyond LGR.