Councils preparing to become unitary authorities next April need to work out just how they will make local involvement a reality, local government minister John Healey has said.
More than 600 members of the Public and Commercial Services union at the conciliation service Acas are balloting for industrial action in a dispute over pay. The vote, which runs until August 27,...
The Labour Party has signalled encouragement for councils to build more homes and a central role for directly employed staff in public service delivery.
The Local Government Association has launched a cross-party attack on the government's police reform plans, criticising attempts to increase accountability.
Joint ventures in which the public sector provides the land and funds and the private sector the expertise may be the key part of a government package to boost the building of affordable homes
England's regional development agencies met or exceeded their performance targets in most areas in the past financial year, according to government figures.
Direction-of-travel statements will no longer be applied to council performance under plans for a radically simplified and streamlined version of the new inspection framework for local services,...
A court ruling on equal pay has thrown town hall wage structures into chaos, just days after unions and employers agreed to talks aimed at settling the dispute over this year's pay round.
The Labour government has been keen to use legislation to push through its public sector reform agenda. However, there are unintended consequences when powers are not thought through, say Stephen...
You might be fighting fit and at the top of your game, but if you're 65 you can be forced out of your job. This could all change after a spate of age discrimination claims and a European Court...
Action taken by local, regional and devolved administrations on climate change is encouraging, but efforts are hampered by contradictions in cross-government policy, MPs have said.
Criticisms of lack of evidence about the third sector's role in public services are misplaced, says Stephen Bubb. The root of the problem is poor commissioning
Doubts over sustainable school design were raised this week, after it was revealed that energy use in state schools would be included in the Carbon Reduction Commitment emissions trading scheme.
An increase in the number of local authorities recruiting existing chief executives from other councils is driving up costs and restricting the recruitment pool, the Audit Commission has said.
The battle over public sector pay looked set to extend to Scotland this week, with civil servants and 100,000 local government workers ready to oppose Scottish Government offers.
Public finance and chief council officers have warned that the Scottish Government's plans for a local income tax would create a funding gap of £742m, partially remove fiscal autonomy from local...
Councillors must improve public trust in local politics if the government's community empowerment initiative is to succeed, according to the Improvement and Development Agency and the think-tank...
