‘Re:Imagining the Local State’ conference: transformed councils, revolutionised services
Researcher
Re:State’s third annual flagship ‘Re:Imagining the Local State conference took place in Liverpool just before the Budget, at a moment when local government is changing faster than at any point in a generation.
Kindly supported by Beam, one of the conference panels was focused on the future of local public service reform during a period of real uncertainty. Council reorganisation is accelerating, regional Strategic Authorities are taking shape across the country, and new technologies are reshaping how services are delivered. Against this backdrop, the panel explored how to seize the opportunities created by this period of disruption rather than simply manage through it, with a focus on innovations to transform public services.
Here are my three key takeaways:
Technology can boost capacity, but only when paired with genuine service redesign.
The panel agreed that AI tools are already relieving pressure in areas like social care, but efficiency alone is not transformation. Councils must decide whether a process should be sped up, and how to use the time saved in ways that improve outcomes rather than simply moving bottlenecks elsewhere. Technology delivers real value only when embedded in wider changes to workflow, culture and accountability.
Devolution is becoming the key mechanism for joining local innovation with system-level reform.
With no single modern theory of public service improvement guiding Whitehall, the ‘intermediary tier’ of combined or strategic authorities offers a practical way to connect frontline practice to broader policy and funding decisions. When councils and city-regions are aligned, they can test innovations, share learning and drive reforms at a scale that individual authorities cannot achieve alone.
Place and inequality must sit at the heart of transformation.
Speakers stressed that councils’ strongest asset is their deep connection to place: staff live locally, understand the realities of communities, and see inequalities first-hand. This “empathy advantage” is essential for designing services that reach those with the greatest need, especially working-age adults with complex conditions and neighbourhoods facing poor health outcomes. Visible improvements in everyday environments – clean, green, safe places – also help rebuild trust and support further innovation.