The need to base public service reforms on market disciplines has been an uphill battle for the Labour government. But there really is no practicable alternative, argues Anthony Browne
The incoming CIPFA president intends to apply the same drive and determination to his institute role as he has to his career and to his passion for orienteering
Is New Labour's modernisation agenda for public services anywhere near endgame? Tony Travers surveys the progress so far and asks whether a Brown government should slow down or speed up the pace of...
Councils should be given more say in the reconfiguration of hospitals, but they must thrash out concerns over hospital sites with neighbouring local authorities, according to the Institute for Public...
A major rethink is needed on the government's reform programme. Central to that is the concept of 'public value' and new ways of getting public sector workers on board. Brendan Barber outlines a...
Ahead of taking up the premiership, Gordon Brown has promised a redistribution of power down from central to local government. Is this just fantasy politics or will the new PM deliver the goods?
The recent UK-wide elections have highlighted the fact that there is not one NHS but four. Noel Plumridge examines what binds the different health services and what sets them apart
The government's legal reforms have given local authorities more flexibility to deliver services in the most efficient way, with initiatives such as the London Authorities' Mutual Ltd insurance...
Pre-school intervention programmes reap huge rewards for society. But the government needs to use the next Comprehensive Spending Review to do some joined-up funding of local initiatives, argues...
Men living in England and Wales' poorest wards suffer poor health and disability for 5.5 years longer on average than those in the richest wards, according to the Office for National Statistics.
It might be a brick too far to herald the return of the council house, but a Gordon Brown government will, it seems, recognise the need to provide more social housing, and be on the lookout for new...
Plans to set up seven 'super-councils' in Northern Ireland are to be re-examined. This paves the way for the formation of a larger number of authorities and a delay in their establishment until 2011.
Public sector housing bodies have responded positively to the Disability Discrimination Act and routinely upgrade homes to suit the needs of disabled people in contrast to private sector landlords...
Trade unions have hailed as 'long overdue' the government's announcement that it is to draw up a consistent pay and conditions framework for the support staff working in England's schools.
Scottish Finance Secretary John Swinney has told council leaders he wants to freeze council tax bills from 2008 prior to introducing a local income tax.
Town hall leaders this week gave a cautious welcome to the government's controversial plan to refer national infrastructure planning decisions to an independent commission.
A good settlement for local government will be a key element of a successful Comprehensive Spending Review, the Cabinet minister overseeing the spending plans said this week.
Local authorities will soon be asked to help Whitehall meet its strict child poverty targets as part of the government's ambitious plan to eradicate the problem by 2020.
The political battle over academy schools will intensify next week, when a leading think-tank publishes data indicating that institutions that control their own admissions procedures are increasingly...
Vocational training for school children should be delivered in partnership with local businesses, which are then exempted from their rates. This would boost youngsters' skills and also benefit small...
Gordon Brown has said he is not opposed to electoral reform if it keeps the constituency link. One idea is the alternative vote system, which is supported by ministers Gareth Thomas and James...
