There needs to be clarity on how reforms to take small firms out of business rates will affect councils. There is a risk the link between economic growth and increased local revenues will be broken.
George Osborne’s Budget set a good direction on devolution and prevention through the sugar tax, but there are too many surprises and uncertainties for top marks.
Small businesses are to be exempt from business rates from next April in a move that will reduce the revenue raised – which is 50% retained by councils – by £6.7bn over the next...
Devolution deals that are transforming public services in Greater Manchester would not have happened without Scottish devolution showing the way, former CIPFA president and Bury Council chief...
The chancellor’s statement next week must be focused on making the most of the UK’s cities if the country is to weather the tough economic climate ahead
Innovations in local finance, collaboration and a reshaping of local governance are among the key ingredients required to make devolution work, according to EY.
The government should develop an economic strategy to support England’s fastest growing cities, including financial powers to boost housebuilding and maintain higher levels of productivity,...
An independent commission led by Lord Kerslake has called for a major package of fiscal devolution to local authorities in London as part of an effort to double the supply of homes in the capital.
The government’s plans for the High Speed 2 rail link are already changing Britain by complementing devolution initiatives to help rebalance the economy away from London, project chief Sir David...
Scottish secretary David Mundell today urged politicians to shift political debate towards the best use of Holyrood’s new fiscal powers, after finance secretary John Swinney acknowledged that...
Carolyn Williamson made savings by bringing in new ways to work rather than cutting back at Hampshire County Council. A focus on shared services, working with the police, fire and other organisations...
Senior ministers from both the Scottish and UK governments have been warned to come armed with good explanations for their difficulties in agreeing a fiscal framework for Scotland’s new...
MPs have called on the government to open its devolution process to greater public scrutiny so local communities can be part of decisions to localise control over services.
The government has said that further devolution deals are likely in England following the passage of the Cities and Local Government Devolution Act, which received Royal Assent today.
City mayors should be given control of some areas of criminal justice spending in order to allow local authorities to develop new approaches to cut offending, the Institute for Public Policy Research...
The UK government has provided £300m of borrowing flexibility to the Northern Ireland Executive since a deal was reached to restart Stormont power-sharing in November, Northern Ireland...
Council leaders in Derbyshire and Nottinghamshire have called on ministers to approve a draft devolution deal that would establish a directly elected mayor across the two counties and could create 55...
The remit of the Scottish Fiscal Commission should be expanded to include independent forecasts of devolved tax revenues and examinations of the Scottish Government’s performance against its...
Health devolution pilots for London boroughs are a step in the right direction but communities must be involved to develop effective and robust services that can meet people’s needs.
Stamp duty should be devolved to local authorities alongside business rates to both increase growth incentives and ensure councils have adequate resources to take on more responsibilities, the Centre...
Implementing the Scottish Rate of Income Tax (SRIT) will cost up to £35m and 2.6 million people will be liable to pay it, the National Audit Office has revealed.
