Deputy Prime Minister Harriet Harman has vowed to fight discrimination against elderly people, promising new rights for carers and extra obligations on public services
Local government is failing to save money by sharing back-office operations and must be forced by legislation to do so, a leading consultancy firm has said
The nation’s ever-expanding fiscal gap was examined recently in a video debate organised by PricewaterhouseCoopers and chaired by Public Finance editor Mike Thatcher – and asks, is it time to face...
Another London borough has criticised the new inspection arrangements for local services, suggesting they are inappropriate in a climate of public sector spending cuts
Councils should offer tax incentives to encourage local businesses to invest in their area, avoiding a surge in ‘ghost towns’, according to a think-tank.
The past ten years have seen the economy go from boom to bust, and the public finances spiral out of control. Tony Travers relives a decade of war, terrorism and financial
collapse – and asks, is it...
Efforts to improve the quality of social housing by the end of next year are being thwarted by councils failing to refurbish their homes fast enough, housing minister John Healey claimed this week
It’s supposed to be lighter touch but it is certainly tougher. The Audit Commission’s first area assessments were revealed this week – and put up on the Oneplace website for everyone to see. David...
Scotland’s finance secretary has decided to retain the existing funding system for Scottish councils after rejecting claims that it is anomalous and unfair
Enhancing the role of local government could improve the quality of MPs, who otherwise lack managerial experience, a prominent Conservative council leader has said
Southwark council has called for an urgent parliamentary review of the Care Quality Commission after the watchdog said the authority needed extra support for adult social services
