At the end of a traumatic year, PF asks local government figures whether government has done enough to shield the sector from the financial impact of Covid-19.
Spelthorne Borough Council is budgeting for an increase in income from its commercial property portfolio during the current financial year, enabling it to underspend its budget by £1.5m.
Leeds City Council has withdrawn its application for permission to use capital resources on day-to-day services following a funding boost from government.
As many as one in 20 local authorities in England risk financial failure as a result of a disruptive European Union Exit, according to a leaked government report.
A team sent in by ministers has concluded that Nottingham City Council cannot set a balanced budget for next year without government support, according to a leaked report.
Liverpool City Council mayor Joe Anderson is reported to be among five people arrested in connection with offences of bribery and witness intimidation.
Local authorities’ spending on buying property has fallen more than half following the outbreak of Covid-19, according to statistics from the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.
The London Borough of Croydon has issued a second section 114 notice after it was unable to make sufficient cuts to balance a forecast £66m overspend in its budget this year.
The UK Municipal Bonds Agency has withdrawn a planned bond issuance with Warrington Borough Council after chancellor Rishi Sunak changed the terms of borrowing from the Public Works Loan Board.
The argument for shifting resources away from housing benefit subsidies to social housing provision is growing stronger, says councillor Graham Chapman.
The Covid-19 pandemic is likely to have a long-lasting impact on governance and financial management in public bodies – Sarah Sheen looks at the issues.
The government is unable to assess whether local authorities have enough funding to manage their flood risk effectively, the National Audit Office has said.
Making hard choices is the only way for London Borough of Croydon to bounce back from the financial brink, says the authority’s cabinet member for finances.
A lack of clarity over who will direct place-investment through the proposed replacement for EU structural funding could cloud our hopes of economic recovery, argues Joe Fyans.
City of Edinburgh Council’s use of its general fund reserves is unsustainable and will be unable to cover future economic shocks, Audit Scotland has warned.
Councils in England will receive an additional £3bn to cover Covid-19 expenditure over the next year, alongside a lifting of social care precept for council tax, the government has confirmed.
Nobody expected the 2020 Spending Review to slam the brakes on, but a prolonged period with no formal fiscal framework will start causing the chancellor new headaches, says Dan Corry.
Catch up with the main spending announcements in today’s settlement, which chancellor Rishi Sunak says represents the fastest revenue spending growth for 15 years, even excluding the Covid-19...
The government has reversed its October 2019 hike in the Public Works Loan Board borrowing rate and introduced a ‘ban’ on councils borrowing to raise revenue from commercial property.
Croydon Council has been unable to set out more than £11.2m of in-year savings towards a £67m shortfall this year – saying the task is impossible without central government support.
The government has been given until 10 December to respond to a legal challenge over local government exit payments tabled by two local authority groups, their lawyer has told PF.
