The new Conservative government may have a majority in Westminster, but greater diversity in local elections will still influence how it governs over the next five years
The new Conservative government will need to deliver substantial improvements in public sector efficiency and productivity if it is to fulfil its ambitious spending promises
Councils want the momentum towards devolution to be maintained after the election. But there are risks attached to handling the bigger budgets involved
The SNP’s new leader is being regarded wth the affection usually reserved for royalty. Yet serious questions are being asked about the party’s fiscal policies
Social investment has been hyped as the solution to myriad problems. And there’s much to recommend it—but the new government should steer clear of the over-excited rhetoric
GPs are crucial to plans set out in NHS England’s Five Year Forward View. They must work together to ensure service changes can be brought to fruition.
Public sector organisations like councils and colleges can do much to work with suppliers on their doorstep and stimulate local economies. In Lancashire work is underway to ‘repatriate’...
Manifesto pledges suggest there will be more money for the NHS whoever wins the election, but there are radically different ideas about how to manage change and meet patients’ needs
The Dilnot reforms to the social care funding system were supposed to have solved the problem. But do the changes provide value for money and can they endure?
Amid a changing municipal landscape, local enterprise partnerships, business improvement districts and businesses themselves need to take a lead on developing reforms to the out-of-date system of...
There are strong reasons for profit capping and sharing in outsourcing deals, including bolstering moves to introduce universal accounting standards for all public service contracts. However, there...
Local authorities faced some unenviable choices when Council Tax Benefit was devolved to town halls. Evidence is now emerging of the impact of the reforms.
Moves to boost the role of the finance profession in the NHS require a new collaboration between accountants and doctors, as well as an improved understanding of costs across the health service.
Major local government reorganisation is coming in Wales, with plans to reduce the number of principal authorities from 22 to 12. It needs adequate funding and realistic timescales if it is to...
Whatever the election brings, something that feels like austerity will continue. George Osborne’s tenure at the Treasury has locked Britain into permanently lower taxes and smaller government
Cabinet Office minister Francis Maude has committed to adopting a set of standardised transparency provisions in government outsourcing contracts. This is an important step in making these deals more...
There’s little evidence to suggest that workers with defined contribution pension pots have the financial savvy to make wise choices with their money. A default automatic income plan would help...
The cuts imposed on councils are too steep, happening too fast and unfairly distributed. There needs to be real-terms growth in the resources given to local government and distribution according to...
The Private Finance Initiative has come in for some harsh criticism over the years, decried as inflexible and expensive. But with the right approach, PFI can deliver significant savings and improved...
International evidence has shown that devolution of welfare-to-work schemes to local authorities can improve services – if funding and accountability challenges can be overcome.
