Councils face a spending gap of £8.7bn in their bid to provide services aimed at preventing social problems in areas as diverse as homelessness, debt and crime.
The council that is home to one of England’s key commercial ports is pinning its hopes on central government funding to ensure it can cope with Brexit pressures.
With the date for the UK’s departure from the EU approaching local authorities are drawing up contingency plans. But do they have the cash to fund them? Dominic Brady investigates.
The £35m of funding councils in England will share to help them cope with Brexit is only half of what the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government asked for.
Delays in drawing up a model to replace the EU funding targeted at UK regions are causing “tremendous anxiety” for councils and charities, a leading MP has told PF.
There are “significant weaknesses” in the auditing practices of many Welsh town and community councils, according to a report by the Welsh Auditor General.
The government must lift the benefits freeze to stop increasing numbers of people falling into poverty, says Joseph Rowntree Foundation chief executive Campbell Robb.
The Scottish finance secretary has defended his planned settlement for local government while stressing he is “open minded” to giving councils greater fiscal autonomy.
The Welsh auditor general has said councils must “get a grip on financial management” as the number of qualified audit opinions has doubled in 2017-18.
The government must improve its oversight of governance in local authorities as they struggle with increased financial and demand pressure, England’s spending watchdog has urged.
