Planned capital funding is set to be halved. So how can public bodies break out of their silos, and make the most of the £21bn available? John Tizard and Robert Hill have some ideas
Whitehall and industry are often seen as miles apart, each holding long-held misconceptions about the other. But a group of representatives from both sides is attempting to close this cultural gap....
The Private Finance Initiative was thought to be in trouble earlier on in the recession. But it has proved resilient to new accounting standards, and the banks' credit margins on projects have soared...
As the recession hits high streets across the country, the impact on local authorities’ revenue can only get worse. Councils need to take stock of the situation and keep calm under fire, argue David...
The recent green paper on social care was a step in the right direction. But, as well as focusing on the long term, short-term measures still have to be made for those in need now. Sue Collins...
This could be the last academic year under a Labour government. So what would the future hold under a Conservative administration? Conor Ryan interviewed shadow schools secretary Michael Gove to find...
With mass manufacturing redundancies back
on the agenda, there needs to be a permanent task force to deal with the economic shocks. David Bailey, Caroline Chapain and Stephen Hall report
The MPs’ expenses scandal highlighted the need for parliamentary reform, both to make elected representatives more accountable and to give them more power over the Executive. This could be done...
Labour’s emphasis on councils building homes looks to be a return to its roots. But, as John Perry argues, it is changes to the housing finance system that signal significant reform
Conservative health policies hark back to the days of family doctors and GP fundholding. They also promise to increase funding and scrap targets in favour of outcomes. But what do all these pledges...
A former refugee who worked his way up from Kodak’s factory floor, the deputy chair of the Audit Commission tells Vivienne Russell how his broad perspective informs his role
Changes to Whitehall departments should be about better government but are often more to do with prime ministerial patronage. The latest casualty is Dius
There's no getting away from it - public bodies are going to have to find more savings. But there are ways of making this less painful, particularly for those that start now. Mike Turley explains
With public finances in disarray, funding for third world projects might be vulnerable. But, Caroline Rickatson argues, it remains in the UK's interest to continue offering aid
Local authorities are rediscovering a sense of civic pride, as the recession makes commercial self-sufficiency an urgent necessity. Is this the birth of 'real localism', asks Peter Hetherington
The BBC is under fire from all sides, over everything from the licence fee to its staff salaries. And it is about to move home. Director general Mark Thompson talks exclusively to David Williams...
The CIPFA Manifesto, to be launched next week, sets out the institute's ideas for restoring confidence in government. Steve Freer gives a flavour of its content
Jeered and cheered in equal measure, Alastair Campbell gained notoriety as Tony Blair’s Rottweiler of a spin doctor. And he’s as forthright as ever, as Tash Shifrin discovers
The new CIPFA president talks to Public Finance editor Mike Thatcher about tackling the recession and climate change - and why Eastern thinking could bring enlightenment to our own public sector
Gordon Brown's government is making a last-ditch attempt to regain the policy and political high ground. But the options for public services are limited, whoever is in power, says Tony Travers
