The National Audit Office has launched an inquiry into the timeliness of local authority audit in England last year, as sector audits continue to miss deadlines.
London Borough of Croydon has requested permission from the government to use borrowing earmarked for capital projects on filling its revenue budget gap instead.
At the end of a traumatic year, PF asks local government figures whether government has done enough to shield the sector from the financial impact of Covid-19.
Leeds City Council has withdrawn its application for permission to use capital resources on day-to-day services following a funding boost from government.
Covid-19 has only increased the need for governments around the world to take a consistent approach to reporting their financial balance sheets, says Gillian Fawcett.
Local authorities could be required to provide central government with extra details on their commercial property portfolios, according to a senior official.
Nobody expected the 2020 Spending Review to slam the brakes on, but a prolonged period with no formal fiscal framework will start causing the chancellor new headaches, says Dan Corry.
Catch up with the main spending announcements in today’s settlement, which chancellor Rishi Sunak says represents the fastest revenue spending growth for 15 years, even excluding the Covid-19...
London Borough of Bexley last week announced it is in discussions with Whitehall officials over an application to use capital borrowing to fund services. Council leader Teresa O'Neill and director of...
The government borrowed a record £214bn between April and October – although the figure was £77bn less than projections by the Office for Budget Responsibility.
The government failed to meet standards of transparency on its emergency Covid-19 procurement, according to an investigation by the National Audit Office.
The Local Government Association has launched an investigation into whether disciplinary action should be taken in relation to senior management actions at financially-stricken London Borough of...
In February 2018, Mark McLaughlin became the first section 151 officer in almost 20 years to issue a section 114 notice. Writing exclusively for PF, Northamptonshire’s former finance director makes a...
The monthly financial impact of Covid-19 on councils in England has fallen below £1bn for the first time since the start of the crisis, running at 60% of the £1.5bn peaks in April and May.
“Essential” support for companies and workers in the UK must continue if the economy is to recover from Covid-19 and meet the challenges of leaving the EU customs union and single market, the IMF has...
Many of the recommendations in the Redmond Review can be carried out in the short-term without the need for new legislation, Sir Tony Redmond has told the PF Live conference.
The Treasury has confirmed the Comprehensive Spending Review will only set departmental budgets for next year, due to the economic disruption caused by Covid-19.