Self-governing trust schools are New Labour's latest big idea for education. But confusion still reigns over their structure and how they will be governed in practice. Tash Shifrin investigates
Local authorities could start issuing more capital bonds as an alternative to central government borrowing or the Private Finance Initiative, according to credit rating agency Standard & Poor's.
The Audit Commission has roundly condemned Bradford City Council's planned £1.2bn procurement of an asset management programme as 'failed', 'inadequate' and 'falling short' of the standards expected...
Police forces reacted with a mixture of delight and dismay after Home Secretary Charles Clarke set out merger plans for three more English regions this week.
Chancellor Gordon Brown this week injected further momentum into the government's devolution agenda but the tone emerging from Number 11 points towards a regionalist approach at the expense of...
The Local Government Pension Scheme's 85-year rule has to go, even for some existing members. With members living so much longer, carrying on with it is neither fair nor affordable, whatever the...
Up to 1.5 million local government workers will embark on a series of strikes starting on March 28 and leading up to May's local elections, nine unions have announced.
The Treasury's public sector pay committee has created a 'tension' between ministers' policy of local pay flexibility and the chancellor's requirement that all major remuneration decisions must pass...
Local authorities have made efficiency savings, yet ever-increasing social care demands continue to put pressure on their budgets. It's time to come up with a fair and sustainable system of funding
Up to 80 cottage hospitals in England are threatened with closure and yet NHS community hospitals are meant to be the next big thing. Tash Shifrin investigates
At first glance the Local Authority Business Growth Incentive scheme seems to be a good idea. But it does away with the principle of equalisation, distributing funds regardless of councils' needs or...
In this increasingly litigious society, local authorities have become used to being sued for everything from cracked pavements to housing problems. But is there now a new and serious threat to be...
Plans by local authorities to meet the 2010 decent homes target are being frustrated by delays in setting up stock transfers and arm's-length management organisations.
Treasury officials will shortly report to Chancellor Gordon Brown on the financial implications of devolving new powers to city-regions, as the local government reform agenda took another firm step...
Unison has requested a judicial review of the government's proposed amendments to the Local Government Pension Scheme, saying its figures and reasoning are 'flawed' and 'absurd'.
The proposed Planning Gain Supplement threatens to remove rather than strengthen the powers of local authorities that need to expand housing, while allowing central government to divert the cash...
Social Homebuy was launched a year ago with the promise of giving social tenants the chance to buy a part share in their homes. Neil Merrick visits an estate that is piloting the scheme
