Sir Andrew Foster, the controller of the Audit Commission, found himself under fire last week from council chief executives and senior managers who were angered by the watchdog's implementation of...
The Commons' Public Administration Select Committee is to launch a wide-ranging inquiry into the effects of targets and league tables on the public services.
Local authorities have vowed to step up the campaign to wrest more freedoms from Whitehall, despite the Treasury embracing a 'new localism' for decision-making.
Motorists caught persistently trying to evade paying London Mayor Ken Livingstone's £5-a-day congestion charge will have their cars clamped and impounded in a tough 'three strikes and your car is out...
Over the past year public services have become by default a key issue for the Liberal Democrats. Internal rows and specialist groups have dominated its policy-making.
The head of corporate performance at the London Borough of Ealing has criticised the government for its inability to 'join up and join in' and for the contradictory messages sent out by the various...
Members judged responsible for their authority's failures could be stripped of decision-making powers and replaced by 'partnership boards' under government plans to deal with poorly performing...
The 4Ps, the agency set up to help local authorities deliver public-private partnerships, is to expand into all avenues of procurement under a new executive director, it was announced this week.
MPs have slated the government for reneging on its promise to liberate councils from Whitehall control and demanded a 'major reappraisal' of the draft bill intended to deliver new freedoms.
Nick Raynsford has revealed a talent for nifty conjuring tricks in his proposals for reforming the notoriously complex Standard Spending Assessment, the method by which authorities receive their...
The Spending Review has confirmed what many expected: large increases in resources for many public services. The Budget had already told us how far the overall spending envelope would grow, and laid...
Dan Corry, the former special adviser to local government secretary Stephen Byers, is to take over as executive director of the New Local Government Network.
Relations between central and local government need to be radically transformed and much of Whitehall's power relinquished to town halls, Iain Duncan Smith has told local government leaders.
Union leaders have branded as a 'disgrace' Tony Blair's refusal to intervene in the local government pay dispute as the first national strike by council workers in 23 years looms next week.
County councils could lose up to £800m as a result of proposed reforms to the distribution of the Standard Spending Assessment unveiled by the government on July 5.
Local government leaders' patience finally snapped this week as they hit out at ministers for forcing through the Comprehensive Performance Assessment regime without delivering the extra freedoms...
'We're doing our bit, the Audit Commission is doing its bit, now you do your bit,' is the message that will be sent to ministers from the Local Government Association conference next week.
