Technology and big data offer the seductive promise of better solutions to social problems. But such tools should be devolved to citizens and communities, not kept in the hands of bureaucrats.
The 2015 Scotland Bill, encompassing the Smith Commission plans for enhanced devolution, completes its Commons passage today, intensifying pressure on Scottish ministers to spell out how they will...
Businesses should be able to self assess the value of their properties as part of further reforms to the business rate system, according to the Local Government Association.
The chancellor’s decision to fully localise business rates signals a shift to a mode of civic entrepreneurialism that will leave local authorities fending for themselves and at the mercy of...
How business rates decentralisation will work needs clarifying – especially for high-need councils – and the chancellor should remember Robert Maxwell when reforming pensions
Chancellor George Osborne has signed devolution agreements with combined authorities in the North East and Tees Valley regions of England that will see both led by directly-elected mayors and nearly...
The government’s plan to let councils in England keep 100% of business rates is set to herald a wide-ranging re-examination of Whitehall support to town halls, the local government minister has...
Credit to George Osborne for the progress made on fiscal devolution by setting out a plan to localise business rates, but this must only be the beginning, not the end.
Scottish Secretary David Mundell has promised that the new fiscal and welfare powers to be devolved under the 2015 Scotland Bill will be “a game-changer.”
District councils must play a key role in forthcoming devolution deals by agreeing to take on a greater share of the cost of local economic development and early intervention projects, a report has...
Local government should be able to take over failing public services from Whitehall through an expansion of existing “right to challenge” powers, a report by the think-tank Respublica has...
The forthcoming Spending Review needs to provide more details on how devolution of powers to councils will be spread across the country, a senior local government figure has said.
Backing for the 38 devolution proposals submitted to government earlier this month would unlock at least £80bn of economic growth, a report from the Local Government Association has claimed...
The Scottish Government stands ready to block the additional powers devolved to Holyrood under the 2015 Scotland Bill unless UK ministers underpin the reforms with a fair fiscal settlement, deputy...
Local government will need meaningful fiscal devolution in order to bring about transformation in transport, health, skills and other public services as part of the government’s devolution...
As much as £60bn could be devolved to local authorities under proposals submitted to Whitehall today, with local retention of business rates and greater control of health and economic...
The Northern Powerhouse proposals represent the biggest growth opportunity for the North of England since the Victorian era, the IPPR North think-tank has said, but must be backed with investments in...
Holyrood’s finance committee has put forward its own thoughts on a fiscal framework for an increasingly devolved Scotland. The report raises important questions for both London and Edinburgh.
The government has published a plan to boost the economic productivity of rural parts of England, with devolution of powers to local authorities and improvements to connectivity among the priorities.
The government has been urged to allow councils to join forces to take over regulation of bus services, as part of an effort to improve the effectiveness of public subsidies.
