Wirral Council is seeking an emergency government bailout after auditors warned that a deficit of over £26m and scant reserves place the authority in a “critical” financial situation.
Experienced Section 151 officer Brendan Arnold reflects on the role and tells PF how a Section 114 notice can be an opportunity to tackle cultural, communication and commercial issues.
A major shake-up of council funding that would shift resources to areas of higher deprivation has been set out as part of a wide-ranging package of reforms.
Local authorities have been warned that they face a “significant administrative headache” if they fail to comply with their duties as charity trustees.
Political parties have been told to wake up to a looming crisis in local government that could see a swathe of councils face financial collapse over the next five years.
An above-inflation increase in council spending power for 2024-25 shows “the government stands behind councils”, levelling up secretary Michael Gove has insisted despite warnings from the sector that...
An inadequate funding settlement means councils face “serious challenges” including further cuts to balance their 2024-25 budgets, the Local Government Association has said.
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.
Councils are likely to receive an above-inflation funding settlement for 2024-25, a senior civil servant has said amid sector-wide concerns over resources.
Local authorities in the most deprived areas of England have faced government cuts far outstripping those faced by the richest areas – a situation one council leader said needs to be reversed “for ‘...
Councils need additional income-raising powers and longer-term funding allocations in order to run sustainably, so the local government settlement remains a missed opportunity, senior figures in the...
World leaders are spending on a scale not seen since the 1970s to avert multiple crises. Is it a new era of ‘big government’ – and, if so, who pays for it?
Levelling up secretary Michael Gove has confirmed councils in England will receive two-year funding settlements from next year to help them plan with “a greater degree of confidence”.
In December, MP Margaret Hodge announced that she will not stand for parliament at the next general election. The former Public Accounts Committee chair speaks to PF about her worry that the UK is in...
The allocation of the local government settlement, steering more funding to deprived councils, is a signal of the government’s intentions on 'levelling up', according to experts.
Local authorities are set to receive a share of a one-off £822m services grant in 2022-23, to help meet service demands, as part of a single-year provisional local government settlement announced on...
Councils still face a funding gap of more than £600m this financial year due to Covid-19, despite huge government support for the sector, the National Audit Office has found.
