Matthew Fright
Associate Director
Matthew's recent work
All work
Labour Conference 2026: Will Andy Burnham pass his first test of leadership?
The IfG has identified five key areas where the prime minister can use conference to prove he is serious about delivering change.
Local government reorganisation credibility is on the line
Local authorities need a clear delivery timetable following the LGR process review.
Mayor of Greater Manchester
On 30 July 2026, Bev Craig was elected as mayor of Greater Manchester.
The Burnham government needs a new strategy for the Union
To deliver growth in every postcode, Burnham must build a genuine partnership with the leaders of Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland.
What is local government reorganisation?
Unitarisation is a type of local government reorganisation that replaces separate county and district councils with a single tier of local authorities
Ministers should lose their sweeping powers to delay local elections
The back-and-forth over election timings has been bad for central and local government alike.
Local elections U-turn is welcome – but this saga has been a government fiasco
Elections in 30 local area will now proceed on 7 May 2026.
Local elections 2026
On Thursday, 7 May 2026, local elections will take place in many parts of England.
The government’s decision to delay mayoral elections cannot be justified on democratic or fairness grounds
The government has postponed the May 2026 mayoral elections in Greater Essex, Sussex and Brighton, Hampshire and the Solent, and Norfolk and Suffolk.
New funding plans will give mayors more autonomy to boost growth
Longer-term funding arrangements are a welcome step towards deepening English devolution.