Local government leaders are fighting attempts to incorporate business rates into the revenue support grant, a move that would extinguish all hope of their return to town hall control.
The Local Government Association has warned that its acceptance of the government's proposals for the English regions hinges on there being 'a genuine devolution of power from Whitehall'.
The future outline of English regional government was laid out on May 9 when Deputy Prime Minister John Prescott and Local Government Secretary Stephen Byers launched the regions white paper.
Local government leaders are demanding an urgent meeting with the government to clarify the effects that a World Trade Organisation agreement will have on local authorities.
Senior backbencher Edward Leigh has slated the government for failing to develop systems for measuring the success of its e-government programme two years after pledging to do so.
The government's programme of transferring council homes to registered social landlords suffered a major setback this week when tenants in Birmingham rejected a transfer proposed by their local...
The government took the unusual step of publishing an implementation plan for the local government white paper this week but failed to commit itself to a legislative timetable for reforms.
Nick Raynsford this week warned local councils that they could expect further government guidance on local strategic partnerships, despite previous claims that Labour is committed to granting greater...
Politicians must 'be brave' and admit that decentralisation of decision-making in the NHS could lead to further accusations of a postcode lottery of care, health minister Hazel Blears was warned.
Sir John Bourn has trumpeted the increased 'right to roam' that the National Audit Office will soon enjoy in his annual report on the spending watchdog's activities.
One in four councils has been running education and social services so badly that central government has had to intervene, and more cases could be on the way, according to the Audit Commission.
Charles Kennedy is attempting to forge closer ties with the trade unions and exploit widespread disenchantment with the government's management of public services.
The government's plans to overhaul the Best Value regime and introduce comprehensive performance assessments (CPA) have been lambasted by an influential local government policy organisation.
A sense of commitment among public sector managers and staff is vital if services are to continue to improve, the Public Services Productivity Panel said this week.
London boroughs could lose up to £250m in central government support each year unless the council tax system is fundamentally overhauled, Public Finance has learned.
The Local Government Association and ministers are to agree a set of shared priorities for service delivery that will act as a 'coherent framework' governing councils' activities.
Glasgow contains the three most deprived areas in Britain, according to a study by the Child Poverty Action Group (CPAG) which ranks parliamentary constituencies by their levels of poverty and social...
Health Secretary Alan Milburn was this week told to stop tampering with the structure of the NHS and ignoring his own department's ten-year strategy to give staff more time to deliver his much...
An influential group of public sector leaders has thrown down the gauntlet to Tony Blair and demanded that he defend frontline workers from attacks on their professionalism.
The government's attempt to banish disillusionment with Best Value by overhauling the system is 'flawed' and needs more thought, a leading local government moderniser has told Public Finance .
