Peter Hetherington

Far away from the Westminster village, seemingly out of reach of a questioning media, a rather arbitrary reorganisation of English local government is under way. Read more

‘Humphrey,’ I said. ‘We simply have to slim down the civil service. How many people are there in this department?’ Read more

People of a certain age remember when housing was the most valued political currency. Read more

I’ve been fascinated by local government ever since I inherited from my dad a commemorative brochure to mark the opening of the new municipal power station. Read more

As policy flip-flops go, it passed almost unnoticed. Read more

Around 25 years ago, when trade union power was a force to be reckoned with, the redoubtable miners’ leader, Mick McGahey, rallied comrades at the Scottish TUC with a typically robust attack on Thatcherism and its ills. Read more

Last month, in an extensive Cabinet reshuffle that had even less regard for that elusive concept of joined-up government — does anything change? — the prime minister sent the new communities and local government minister a crib sheet. Read more

In the corner of England where I live, the fragile economy rests on a knife-edge. Read more

Here’s a seasonal teaser to throw into the annual round of Trivial Pursuit, or the other festive games that can enliven an otherwise monotonous family get-together. Read more

A month after the election, you might have expected that the blurred policy picture emerging from the reshuffled Cabinet would have become clearer, with ministerial minds focusing on a third term whose reforming zeal is underpinned by 45 new Bills. Read more