Fixing the English local government audit crisis for good could take “radical” ideas, and those involved in reform are willing to consider them, Public Finance Live heard.
Safeguards for standards and integrity become vital when officials cannot always be relied upon to do the right thing, delegates at Public Finance Live heard.
The pressure on democracy is already finding its way to audit in some parts of the world, but audit has always known political pressure, Public Finance Live delegates heard.
A package of 16 commitments to reform the “fragmented and broken” English local audit system has been unveiled by local government minister Jim McMahon.
The Local Audit Office will not be able to force councils to amend their accounts in response to auditor concerns, the government has confirmed following fears over the body’s independence and...
The English local audit crisis means the government is “flying blind” and failing to monitor the worsening financial health of local authorities, according to an influential group of MPs.
More than 20 local bodies have still failed to publish audited accounts more than two months after the first backstop deadline despite a last-minute flurry of activity.
Auditors have issued a statutory recommendation to Cumberland Council to address the capacity challenges in its finance team, to help complete years of outstanding work relating to the three former...
Wirral Council is seeking an emergency government bailout after auditors warned that a deficit of over £26m and scant reserves place the authority in a “critical” financial situation.
The UK spending watchdog has raised concerns about the Government Property Agency’s accounting, leading to it qualifying its opinion on the Cabinet Office’s accounts for 2023-24.
Fees for local government audits will rise by 9.5%, the body responsible for setting them has said while insisting measures to address the crisis in the system must make audit work more proportionate...
The overwhelming lack of reliable financial data submitted by the English local authority sector to the Whole of Government Accounts has led the comptroller and auditor general to disclaim his...
The Scottish Government has been warned that its reliance on short-term budget fixes poses a significant risk to fiscal sustainability and future public service delivery.
A history of “potentially unlawful” lending, underpinned by “wholly inadequate” governance arrangements, may have contributed to the financial collapse of Woking Borough Council, according to an...
Luton Borough Council has hit back after its external auditor claimed the authority cannot produce accurate accounts, criticising the report as “full of factual inaccuracies”.
Urgent action is needed to repair arrangements for external audit that have “fundamentally failed”, as well as to overhaul the “wasteful, unfair and ineffective” local government funding system,...
