It’s all in the timing. One year after the coalition government was formed, the turn of the electoral cycle means that on May 5 it faces its largest test short of a general election.
The government today appointed the financial consulting firm FTI to advise on disbanding the Audit Commission and transferring its audit practice out of the public sector.
Health Secretary Andrew Lansley has defended his controversial plans for increased competition in the National Health Service following attacks by Deputy Prime Minister Nick Clegg.
The Treasury could be in line for an £8bn ‘windfall’ this year because of higher than expected tax receipts and lower government spending, leading economists said today.
Abolishing the Audit Commission will save less than £10m a year, a fifth of the amount claimed by government, the spending watchdog's chiefs have told MPs
Final salary pension schemes in the public sector should end and a cap be put on the amount taxpayers contribute, according to Lord Hutton’s review of pensions, published today.
A London borough has made a formal complaint about the use of statistics by secretary of state Eric Pickles in last month's local government finance settlement.
Plans to mutualise the Audit Commission's in-house audit practice are at risk of stalling because of waning support from government, Public Finance has learnt
The UK economy is expected to grow more strongly this year than previously anticipated, while fewer jobs will be lost in the public sector, according to the Office for Budget Responsibility
Local government minister Bob Neill has claimed there is not ‘a shred of evidence’ that this week’s collapse of social housing maintenance firm Connaught was linked to the scale and pace of...
A landmark NHS white paper has proposed giving local authorities new responsibilities for public health – but there are widespread concerns that councils' voices will be ignored
Public procurement officers are unlikely to be ring-fenced by ministers, but efficient buyers could save government departments millions of pounds. David Williams investigates
A deficit-slashing former Swedish prime minister has recommended that the UK government should start to cut spending and reform public services as soon as possible
Ministers’ swift handling of the financial crash was applauded at the time. But, with the latest economic data making unhappy reading, does this goodwill need revising, asks David Williams
All the main parties support independently run schools in some form. But there is no guarantee that they produce results for the pupils themselves, reports Lucy Phillips
The local elections should attract a large number of voters thanks to the simultaneous national elections. And that could lead to some strange results. David Williams reports
As the general election approaches, many returning officers want to delay counting votes until the following day – but the government is trying to stop them. Lucy Phillips reports
The Home Office has been forced to ask Parliament for almost £80m in extra funds after failing to set aside enough to cover the possibility of losing a court case over police pensions
Adult care budgets are set to be slashed as councils strive to safeguard children’s social services in the wake of recent high-profile child protection failures, public spending experts have warned.