Beyond Safe and Legal: Rethinking Local Government Reorganisation

In this episode, Matthew Masters speaks with Jonathan Carr-West, Chief Executive of LGIU, to unpack the deeper truths behind Local Government Reorganisation (LGR). Too often, LGR is treated as a technical exercise, focused on safely and legally creating new councils. But what if we saw it as a rare opportunity to truly transform how local democracy works?Jonathan challenges the status quo, arguing that simply replicating old systems in new structures is like rearranging deck chairs on a sinking ship. Instead, we must ask: Why are we doing this? And more importantly, how can we do it better?Together, they explore:The real purpose behind LGR and why “because central government said so” isn’t enough.How to seize the blank page moment to deliver better services, stronger democracy, and financial sustainability.What true transformation looks like and the barriers we must overcome to get there.