Spiralling oil prices may not be doing much for the economy but they're giving a political boost to Alex Salmond. The first minister is cleverly using the crisis to divert attention from his little...
Regional development agencies have long drawn Conservative fire. But the government's plans to give more powers to city-regions may appear attractive to Tories keen to make inroads into Labour...
Polyclinics are trumpeted as the best way to revolutionise patient care in the UK but bringing together the various services will work only if they are properly integrated, warn Candace Imison and...
The second ruling in the case involving the mutual insurance company set up by the London boroughs shows that the problems stem not from the project itself but from an inability to meet legal...
Academies have been attacked as the playthings of their sponsors. This is unfair, argues Rod Aldridge, who sponsors two of the schools. They're all about hard work and giving better options to pupils...
The near-revolt over the 10p tax band reveals how Parliament is beginning to exercise its powers to scrutinise government's tax and spending plans a development vital to democracy, argues Colin...
Both sides claimed victory after the first ruling on the legal challenge to London Authorities' Mutual Ltd. But in reality the judgment is bad news for councils and for the government's shared...
Not so long ago, ministers were wild about independent sector treatment centres and their success in bringing down waiting lists. But plans for more seem to have slowed, if not stalled. So is the...
The government pushed ahead with its plans for unitary councils, legalising its actions only after the event and accepting blatantly optimistic savings estimates. This has serious implications for...
A year on from the publication of his report into local government, Sir Michael Lyons tells PF he is disappointed that more progress has not been made. Joseph McHugh reports
With the main political parties all committed to the academies programme, there is a danger of over-expansion, says James Crabtree. Are there more cost-effective solutions to poor educational...
Have public sector workers suffered unduly from changes to the normal pension age? Probably not, in relative terms, since private sector employer provision of defined benefit schemes has gone into...
The May 1 election results gave Labour a bloody nose and shook up the political landscape. It also reflected voters' feeling that local authorities have precious little power.
In the year since Sir Michael Lyons set out his vision for the future of local government, ministers have launched initiatives to boost the 'place-shaping' role of councils. But the funding conundrum...
Another local government white paper is imminent and if ministers are serious about devolution, this one must provide for full financial accountability, argue Amelia Cookson and Andrew Collinge
Keeping citizens' data centrally seemed such a good idea. It could help to catch terrorists, protect children, save patients' lives, and stop people from providing the same details to different...
The government could find itself caught out by its own fiscal rules if the delayed introduction of International Financial Reporting Standards means that Private Finance Initiative debt goes on the...
The Post Office is trying to slash its local branch network but residents are up in arms and councils are rushing to the rescue. So it's no surprise then that the closures have become a hot election...
The new Corporate Manslaughter Act came into effect this month, meaning that, for the first time, public and private organisations whose negligence causes death will face the full weight of the law
Public debate about the current financial crisis has developed a hysterical tone because commentators have forgotten the events of recent decades that would put today's economic turmoil into...
Local government is the biggest employer in the UK but too few graduates dream of a career in it. Add a shortage of young talent to an ageing top management and councils have a problem. Chris Leslie...
In this first of an occasional series of sponsored columns, Rob Allison considers the delayed government proposals to reform the process for personal injury claims and the changes ahead for local...
Public sector organisations around the world are endlessly number-crunching their performance targets. But to what purpose? Bernard Marr spells out the ABCs of good and bad practice
