Local government pensions are in a mess. A £30bn shortfall in retirement assets across town halls in England and Wales, revealed in a CIPFA study last week, is bad news enough.
As the 2005 election's battle of the budgets hots up with accusations of tax and spend black holes flying to and fro Tony Travers asks whether it's still the economy that will determine the...
As the election battle hots up for hearts and minds of 'hard-working families', contradictory messages are emerging about poverty and inequality. Who is telling the truth? The IPPR sifts through the...
A fight has broken out in schools but the pupils are not to blame. Heads claim that they can't afford both the workload agreement and pay reforms. Teachers say this is just an excuse. Conor Ryan...
Councils broadly welcomed the extension of the Building Schools for the Future investment programme to primaries. But they are concerned about how it will work and how much control they will retain
National Health Service recruitment of medical staff from developing countries threatens the Third World's ability to tackle the HIV/Aids crisis, MPs have warned.
Government departments are not implementing resource accounting and budgeting systems properly to ensure they are delivering value for money, senior MPs have warned.
Gordon Brown's Budget produced a shock with its commitment to create four merged inspectorates covering the public sector. But will this brave new world lead only to greater confusion and upheaval...
The current review of local government finance in Scotland must be conducted in concert with the wider reform of services, senior public finance officials have warned.
At least 25 members of Northern Ireland's regional education and library boards have resigned in protest at cuts implemented after a tough financial settlement from the Department of Education.
Scottish councils should manage their financial reserves now totalling more than £1bn to help cut council tax bills, the Accounts Commission has advised.
British governments must rein in spending on pensions and health care over the next 30 years or the country's debt rating could be downgraded to 'junk' status, credit experts have warned.
NHS foundation trusts have been stuck in the middle of the government split between 'modernisers' and 'consolidators', unable to achieve true financial independence. So reform is urgently needed
Ofsted's first ever finance director tells Vivienne Russell about his drive to bring the standards that he has fostered in local government to the inspectorate
The government's election supremo, Alan Milburn, will reveal the full cost to taxpayers of his Cabinet role following an approach from the National Audit Office.
The chancellor is pledged to a surplus of revenues over current spending in any economic cycle. But with the cycle ending in 2005/06 it looks increasingly unlikely that he will be able to achieve...
The Private Finance Initiative has not gone away it's just adapted to meet changing times. Mark Hellowell explores the opportunities and pitfalls in the new areas that the programme is expanding...
Last week's Budget announced more support for university-based research. But will it be enough to save the science departments that are closing across Britain? Stephen Court reports on the parlous...
Housing will face an extremely tough Spending Review in 2006 unless it gets into the habit of making year-on-year efficiency gains, Simon Ridley, head of housing at the Treasury, told the National...
