Ahead of his address to the CIPFA conference, John Prescott talks to Vivienne Russell about the most pressing issues that Labour faces, and what he considers to be his legacy to local government from...
The poorest children are missing out on money earmarked for their education because councils are choosing to spread the funds across all the pupils in their areas, according to economic experts.
The British Council's £181m English language teaching and examinations business has a strong reputation and more than covers its costs, says the National Audit Office.
Ministers were forced on the defensive this week after official figures showed that the number of children living in poverty has increased for the second year running.
Two new reports have attacked the government's record on children's rights. The four children's commissioners in the UK and the Children's Rights Alliance of England have submitted reports to the UN...
Cross-departmental working and 'continual improvement' in public services are critical if the government is to meet its main targets, the chief secretary to the Treasury has said.
MPs have said the abandonment by the Home Office of plans to build an accommodation centre for asylum seekers in Oxfordshire has demonstrated 'a startling absence of common sense'.
A cross-government policy for managing the impacts of migration has been criticised for failing to do enough to support local services and for 'stoking up community tensions'.
Walkouts by public sector workers are almost entirely responsible for a surge in the number of strike days recorded in the UK last year, official figures have revealed.
The constant changes in the public sector, combined with the government's sudden brake on funding, continue to challenge finance directors. So what does the future hold for the role? Public Finance...
The effects of last summer's floods are still being felt by the hardest-hit regions. Councils planning to minimise the future costs of such events must revisit and update their risk assessments, says...
The minority Scottish National Party administration at Holyrood is facing further problems over its plans for a local income tax after admitting that tens of thousands of students could be liable to...
Do the government's abysmal poll ratings spell New Labour's decline and fall? Tony Travers says the PM's only way back is to trust the people and devolve power particularly in the public services
Spiralling oil prices may not be doing much for the economy but they're giving a political boost to Alex Salmond. The first minister is cleverly using the crisis to divert attention from his little...
Candidates for major public sector posts, such as the auditor general and the chief education and prisons inspectors, are to be quizzed by MPs before they take up their appointments.
Local authorities have welcomed extra funding to help tackle violent Islamic extremism but say this must be matched with the flexibility to implement local solutions.
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has announced more cash for Planning Aid, to enable people to have a voice in the planning process. Blears said on June 2: 'The Planning Reform Bill currently going...
The Scottish Government should be given the same borrowing powers as local authorities, Finance Secretary John Swinney has told a parliamentary committee.
Academies have been attacked as the playthings of their sponsors. This is unfair, argues Rod Aldridge, who sponsors two of the schools. They're all about hard work and giving better options to pupils...
The near-revolt over the 10p tax band reveals how Parliament is beginning to exercise its powers to scrutinise government's tax and spending plans a development vital to democracy, argues Colin...
Ten years of bold reforms and massive investment have failed to have any measurable impact on reducing youth offending, says an authoritative new study.
