A major rethink is needed on the government's reform programme. Central to that is the concept of 'public value' and new ways of getting public sector workers on board. Brendan Barber outlines a...
Ahead of taking up the premiership, Gordon Brown has promised a redistribution of power down from central to local government. Is this just fantasy politics or will the new PM deliver the goods?
The recent UK-wide elections have highlighted the fact that there is not one NHS but four. Noel Plumridge examines what binds the different health services and what sets them apart
The government's legal reforms have given local authorities more flexibility to deliver services in the most efficient way, with initiatives such as the London Authorities' Mutual Ltd insurance...
Pre-school intervention programmes reap huge rewards for society. But the government needs to use the next Comprehensive Spending Review to do some joined-up funding of local initiatives, argues...
Men living in England and Wales' poorest wards suffer poor health and disability for 5.5 years longer on average than those in the richest wards, according to the Office for National Statistics.
It might be a brick too far to herald the return of the council house, but a Gordon Brown government will, it seems, recognise the need to provide more social housing, and be on the lookout for new...
Plans to set up seven 'super-councils' in Northern Ireland are to be re-examined. This paves the way for the formation of a larger number of authorities and a delay in their establishment until 2011.
The political battle over academy schools will intensify next week, when a leading think-tank publishes data indicating that institutions that control their own admissions procedures are increasingly...
Town hall leaders this week gave a cautious welcome to the government's controversial plan to refer national infrastructure planning decisions to an independent commission.
A good settlement for local government will be a key element of a successful Comprehensive Spending Review, the Cabinet minister overseeing the spending plans said this week.
Local authorities will soon be asked to help Whitehall meet its strict child poverty targets as part of the government's ambitious plan to eradicate the problem by 2020.
Vocational training for school children should be delivered in partnership with local businesses, which are then exempted from their rates. This would boost youngsters' skills and also benefit small...
Gordon Brown has said he is not opposed to electoral reform if it keeps the constituency link. One idea is the alternative vote system, which is supported by ministers Gareth Thomas and James...
Half a million people will need to be transported each day to the 2012 Olympics in London. But so far only £350m is being invested in expanding the capital's transport infrastructure. Christian...
Central government is planning a drive to expand the amount of social housing. So where will this leave traditional housing associations? Caroline Shah looks at one option transferring the entire...
The Lyons report suggested a number of ways forward for local government finance. From abolishing capping to localising the business rate, councils must be prepared to seize the initiative and the...
It's the public services, stupid. As Ireland's voters prepare for a general election, the focus is on problems in the country's huge state sector. The rival parties all have their own solutions,...
Councils are gearing up to resume their role as significant house builders after senior Labour figures said they were vital to increasing the supply of new homes.
Innovative approaches to service delivery can help councils bridge the gap between rising public expectations and tighter finances, the local government watchdog said this week.
Most of the UK's public sector finance managers have spent at least a year working in a private sector environment and the two are increasingly trading top staff, research has found.
Chancellor Gordon Brown must extend payment by results systems across the public services if he is to effectively re-engage staff in the reform agenda, a senior minister has claimed.
