A city council facing government intervention has said ministers should not appoint commissioners, because the budget gap leading to its Section 114 notice was driven by “external pressures” rather...
Workforce shortages have forced Scottish NHS boards to spend more on expensive temporary staff to fill gaps, the Scottish Conservatives have claimed after making Freedom of Information requests.
Concerns over adherence with professional standards have prompted the Financial Reporting Council to launch an investigation into the conduct of an accountant at Thurrock Council following failed...
Reversing the declining performance in the NHS, courts and education systems could take two parliamentary terms and require a “bold package of reforms”, the Institute for Public Policy Research has...
Higher investment returns across the Local Government Pension Scheme should not lead to reductions in employer contributions, despite sector-wide financial constraints, the Scheme Advisory Board has...
Income tax is set to generate £700m more for the Scottish Government next year than previously expected, but only a small portion of this is from the hike for high-earners announced in this week’s...
Michael Gove has announced the government’s English council funding package for next year, but the sector has warned it will not stop the expected wave of Section 114 notices in the coming months.
Higher-than-expected public sector pay and meeting spending commitments will create a £1.5bn gap in Scotland’s 2024-25 budget, the Fraser of Allander Institute has warned.
Rising children’s care costs have contributed to a forecast £73m overspend this year and £104m funding gap next year, both of which Bradford Council said it will be unable to meet without exceptional...
A fair and funded pay rise for council workers would help to alleviate some of the financial strain on authorities and improve recruitment and retention, a senior union official has said.
“Systemic underfunding” has put Northern Ireland’s education services into a financial crisis that could have a “lasting and detrimental impact on learners,” the Independent Review of Education has...
The lack of quality procurement data has made it difficult for the government to demonstrate that £259bn spent in 2021-22 delivered value for money, Parliament’s Public Accounts Committee...
Concerns over the financial stability of Nottingham City Council following its Section 114 notice has prompted levelling up secretary Michael Gove to propose appointing commissioners.
High service demand, rising costs and the large ringfencing of budgets could see 24% of Scottish councils issue Section 114 notices next year, the Local Government Information Unit has said.
A lack of auditor capacity and complex accounting requirements worsened the local audit crisis and meant the Financial Reporting Council could only inspect four financial statements in 2022-23.
A widening budget gap at Slough Borough Council means it must make “significant reductions” to avoid exceeding its exceptional government support this year, its finance director has warned.
A forecast £57m gap in 2025-26 has forced Hampshire County Council to look at making huge cuts – even ones that “do not necessarily make sense” – to ensure the authority passes the “commissioner test...
What’s the cost of sending a judge to Rwanda? We may know this week. The PM has Covid-19 questions to answer, a watchdog is under pressure and climate change is still with us.