Experts say that the new secretary of state in charge of local government has previous form on radical policy shake-ups – but daunting challenges lie ahead.
The administrative costs of Local Government Pension Schemes rose again last year, with one expert putting the rise down to due a rise in asset values.
A much-welcomed increase in resources cannot paper over the cracks in the way central government delivers much of its funding for local government, says CIPFA chief executive Rob Whiteman.
Local government fared better than many expected in Wednesday’s Budget and Spending Review – but a closer look reveals the sector is still likely to face funding pressures.
The government has shied away from a fundamental reform of the business rate system in the 2021 Autumn Budget and Spending Review, with experts saying councils still lack long-term...
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has defied expectations by delivering a Budget that would not have looked out of place if it had been announced by New Labour, says Jonathan Werran.
A continued lack of clarity over the responsibilities of officers and members at Powys County Council is “hindering effective scrutiny”, according to the Welsh spending watchdog.
A coalition of local government organisations has called on the government to ensure that next week's Spending Review gives local government the tools to achieve the ‘levelling up’ agenda.
Next week’s Spending Review is likely to see the government indicate the future of delayed reforms to local authority finance, according to the government.
The government has said it will set up a new ‘local net zero forum’ to support councils in contributing to the national ambition of reaching net zero emissions.
A council is to use £10.5m of reserves earmarked for tackling Covid-19 to slash the amount of capital borrowing needed to fund services under special arrangements approved earlier this year by...
Two weeks before it hosts COP26, Glasgow City Council last week approved a £10bn plan to retrofit 1 million homes in the city region to make them more energy efficient. Mark Williams explains how the...
Liverpool City Council has formally terminated a highways development contract after the construction firm carrying out the works went into administration.
More than 90% of local authority audit opinions for 2020-21 missed the extended September deadline, according to oversight body Public Sector Audit Appointments.
A council faces a £920,000 hit to its reserves after a blunder saw pension payments wrongly removed from its 2020-21 accounts, according to an external auditor. ...
Pembrokeshire County Council’s leader did not have the “proper authority” to negotiate a £95,000 settlement to a former chief executive, according to an internal report.
