Regardless of press speculation, the Lyons report has not been consigned to the dustbin. In fact, it kickstarts the debate on reform, focusing first on the short-term decisions that ministers must...
The latest strategy to get NHS waiting lists down is 24 hours a day surgery. But critics say it might endanger patient welfare, and boosting resources elsewhere would be more effective. Noel...
The revolution in shared services might be slow in coming, but it will inevitably affect local authorities. This is the ideal time, argues John Thornton, for councils to review and update their...
The government has accepted the recommendations of a review by Westminster City Council chief executive Peter Rogers of local authorities' role as regulatory enforcers.
Sir Michael Lyons and ministers this week united in an upbeat defence of local government reform in the face of widespread disappointment from town hall leaders, who fear many of Lyons' major...
Politicians suffer from myopia and tunnel vision they look only to the short term and take a blinkered view of the issue in hand. This is a sentiment with which many people would agree.
Local authorities should join the Housing Corporation in persuading social landlords to reduce the number of homes they own in different parts of the country, says a Chartered Institute of Housing...
Housing Corporation chief executive Jon Rouse is leaving his post this summer to lead Croydon council. His appointment as the London borough's chief executive should be confirmed next week.
Plans to build thousands of homes in Southeast England will land the government and local authorities with an extra bill running into billions of pounds, the Environment Agency warned this week.
Councils have warned that central government aspirations for a 100% increase in town hall cashable efficiency savings are unachievable without cuts in local services.
Ministers have quickly rejected key recommendations from Sir Michael Lyons' review of local government, including a revaluation of property prices and an end to capping.
Hundreds of millions of pounds held in dormant bank accounts will soon be used to fund local youth services under plans revealed by the Treasury this week.
Gordon Brown has been accused of 'sneaking out' the news that the Comprehensive Spending Review will be delayed until the autumn and of trying to 'close down' a public debate over its conclusions.
All children should be able to attend good schools, or at least have an equal opportunity of doing so. But that's not the case at present. The controversial new code of admissions aims to even the...
More than £12bn of public funds is spent every year on support for small business but to what effect? A Conservative Party task force found the programmes to be ineffective, bureaucratic and...
Last week's draft Climate Change Bill shows the UK government is serious about tackling global warming. But it needs to go even further, argues Stuart Williams
Benefits need to be made available for all disabled children and taken up by more families if the government is to eradicate child poverty by 2020, a leading think-tank has warned.
Families in temporary accommodation are being offered the opportunity of a permanent home after a London council announced plans to buy back 200 properties sold under the right-to-buy scheme.
Local authorities and NHS trusts might be forced to reduce their carbon count through a mandatory emissions trading scheme, under legislation published this week.
Sir Michael Lyons this week denied that his proposed overhaul of town hall funding would initiate massive hikes in council taxes on expensive homes, and revealed that a long-term plan would accompany...
