Confidence in UK public finances has taken a hit as the latest data revealed a smaller than expected budget surplus last month following a sharp rise in borrowing.
The one-year ‘Spending Review’ announced last night by chancellor of the exchequer Sajid Javid must make local government a “top priority”, according to bodies representing councils.
Weak consumer and business confidence fuelled by Brexit uncertainty is likely to hamper growth in Scotland in the coming months, with a fragile start to the year suggesting slow growth in the global...
A local income tax would be better than a tourist tax in raising revenue locally for councils, the Institute for Fiscal Studies associate director David Phillips said this morning.
District councils are juggling a host of financial challenges as they face greater spending commitments at a time when funding is falling and when many of the challenges on the horizon are ‘unknowns’.
Some argue Jeremy Corbyn is too unpopular to be elected into number 10 but that ignores that everyone is unpopular at the moment, professor of politics Matthew Goodwin points out.
There was a time when local markets were stalling, but local councils are starting to recognise that they could offer a way to boost a local economy and reverse high street decline. Kim Thomas...
A think-tank has warned most forms of Brexit will damage the UK economy - while the Office for National Statistics has predicted borrowing will increase this financial year.
Schools cannot be expected to address the problems disadvantaged children face on their own - it’s down to society too, says education secretary Damian Hinds.
Decentralising the financial system could rebalance growth across the country - and help local authorities as they become increasingly reliant on business rates, suggest Ben Gardiner and Ron...
Real income growth has ground to a halt after five years of recovery, with lowest income households hardest hit because of cuts in benefits and tax credits.
The mass devolution of social security benefits next year represents a “very significant fiscal risk” to the Scottish budget, according to the body responsible for Scotland’s economic forecasts.
The Scottish Government is facing a budgetary shortfall of £1bn over the next three years in the wake of updated forecasts, which more accurately reflect income tax receipts north and south of the...
