The government must focus on six key topics to ensure its 'levelling-up' agenda is successful, says Nigel Wilcock, executive director of the Institute of Economic Development.
The government’s reported proposal to increase national insurance rates to pay for the long-awaited social care reform has been labelled “regressive” and a “rubbish idea” by experts.
Council transformation relies on a strong digital core to enable self-service and data-driven insight, says Ian Owen, industry director, local government, at TechnologyOne.
Councils’ ability to contribute to the government’s climate ambitions is being hampered by “piecemeal” funding and a lack of clarity around their role, according to the National Audit Office.
A worst case scenario with repeated lockdowns and a slow economic recovery would leave a county council in southern England with a shortfall of £220.3m from next year until 2024-25, the...
After prime minister Boris Johnson spoke of ‘catch up ketchup’ in his detail-light ‘levelling up’ speech in Coventry, Localis head of research Joe Fyans asks if devolution and local leadership can...
Joseph Holmes, executive director of resources at West Berkshire Council, explains his authority’s plans to save £200,000 a year by closing two of its offices and encouraging hybrid working.
Prime minister Boris Johnson today hinted the government could allow more county devolution deals and extend agreements to towns – but warned powers would be decided on a case-by-case basis by...
Two important new documents provide the basis for stronger and more efficient public sector procurement as we emerge from Covid-19, says Crown Commercial Service chief executive Simon Tse.
A unitary authority has unveiled plans to spend more than £100m on slashing its office space by three quarters, enabled by a rise in home working following Covid-19.
Whitehall's oversight of local government audit has become “increasingly complacent” and the proposed solution involves treating public audit as “an afterthought”, MPs have said.
A Scottish local authority has adopted a checklist for assessing prospective loans to other councils after receiving negative publicity over lending to the struggling London Borough of Croydon.
A London council says that it could face a shortfall of up to £50m between its Covid-19 spending and the money from central government to pay for the pandemic response
Members at some larger local authorities are keen for staff to return to office working to help mitigate losses to regional economies, CIPFA chief executive Rob Whiteman told delegates to his...
Proposed health and social care integration in the Health and Care Bill will not improve people’s lives unless structural issues including underfunding are addressed, according to a...
Councils need to stop waiting for rules from central government and start working innovatively to transform their services and adapt to the future, a Public Finance Live 2021 panel heard.
More auditor interventions through statutory recommendations and public interest reports to local authorities are likely to occur in coming years, an audit expert has warned.
The government is set to reduce the amount of funding pots allocated to councils through competitive bidding, communities secretary Robert Jenrick has promised.
Local authority net zero objectives are being hampered by a lack of funding, relevant skills and supportive government framework, delegates to the opening session of Public Finance Live 2021 heard...
The government’s Health and Care Bill will give more power for the health secretary to intervene in the running of health services in England and less local oversight, according...
Fundamental reform of UK local authority finances is likely to be delayed further by up to two years, to assess Covid-19’s impact on local taxation, according to CIPFA chief executive Rob...
