Ministers in Scotland have been told by an influential committee to plan beyond next year’s Budget if they are to cope with the effects of the recession and a continuing decline in government...
The case for limited borrowing powers for the Scottish Government is gaining support as the Calman Commission on devolution prepares to publish its final report on June 15.
Gordon Brown’s wide-ranging changes have produced a beefed-up business department, shared ministerial responsibilities and a potentially big-hitting role for the DCLG
Newly appointed Communities and Local Government Secretary John Denham has pledged to consider strengthening both councils’ powers and communities’ powers to hold them to account.
The Local Government Association has been under fire for everything from Icelandic investments to gritting the icy roads, all while in a state of turmoil after internal battles.
The cost of Private Finance Initiative projects will still not count towards public sector net debt, but government departments and local authorities will have to include the projects on their...
With the recession - and government efforts to end it - putting growing pressure on the public purse, there has never been a greater need for visionary and creative public finance leaders.
As cohesion minister, Sadiq Khan must tread a fine line between promoting the government’s counter-terrorism strategy and winning the ear of a sceptical Muslim community.
Local authorities and social work professionals have warned that Lord Laming’s proposals to reform children’s services might be unachievable on cost grounds alone.
English towns and cities face a far larger than predicted demand for school classes, with London expecting a shortfall of 18,000 places. So should government or education authorities bear the costs...
Town hall leaders have been ‘hugely encouraged’ by the announcement of funding to help them create 100,000 new jobs - but have called for the extra money to be passed on quickly.
Auditors have raised serious concerns about a Scottish council’s financial sustainability because of its lack of planning and other management weaknesses
The Local Government Association has denied claims that councils are undermining the future of local journalism by bankrolling their own rivals to local newspapers
Essex County Council has delayed a decision on its controversial outsourcing plans until after the June elections - and might sharply scale down proposals to hive off ‘any or all’ services
Communities Secretary Hazel Blears has said the recession is serving as a ‘catalyst’ for the reform of public services and creating greater need for devolution of power
