The government has launched a consultation into the “long overdue” resetting of the business rates retention system to ensure funding is targeted at areas of greatest need.
The legislation relating to Section 114 notices for councils in financial distress is no longer fit for purpose and in some cases has left authorities worse off, MPs have been told.
Simplifying local authority accounts could ease the audit crisis, but they must still retain meaning, writes CIPFA’s director of public financial management Iain Murray.
A record number of councils asked the government for exceptional financial support for 2025-26, and 30 requests have been approved – but CIPFA has expressed serious worries about the system.
Guildford Borough Council has set a balanced budget in a sign that finances have stabilised after long-running risks to its governance and financial sustainability.
Wirral Council is seeking an emergency government bailout after auditors warned that a deficit of over £26m and scant reserves place the authority in a “critical” financial situation.
Experienced Section 151 officer Brendan Arnold reflects on the role and tells PF how a Section 114 notice can be an opportunity to tackle cultural, communication and commercial issues.
A major shake-up of council funding that would shift resources to areas of higher deprivation has been set out as part of a wide-ranging package of reforms.
Local authorities have been warned that they face a “significant administrative headache” if they fail to comply with their duties as charity trustees.
Political parties have been told to wake up to a looming crisis in local government that could see a swathe of councils face financial collapse over the next five years.
An above-inflation increase in council spending power for 2024-25 shows “the government stands behind councils”, levelling up secretary Michael Gove has insisted despite warnings from the sector that...
An inadequate funding settlement means councils face “serious challenges” including further cuts to balance their 2024-25 budgets, the Local Government Association has said.
Michael Gove has announced the government’s English council funding package for next year, but the sector has warned it will not stop the expected wave of Section 114 notices in the coming months.
Councils are likely to receive an above-inflation funding settlement for 2024-25, a senior civil servant has said amid sector-wide concerns over resources.
Local authorities in the most deprived areas of England have faced government cuts far outstripping those faced by the richest areas – a situation one council leader said needs to be reversed “for ‘...
Councils need additional income-raising powers and longer-term funding allocations in order to run sustainably, so the local government settlement remains a missed opportunity, senior figures in the...
World leaders are spending on a scale not seen since the 1970s to avert multiple crises. Is it a new era of ‘big government’ – and, if so, who pays for it?
