Comment & Analysis

Budgeting locally to cut carbon

Published date: 07-Sep-10

Local carbon budgets could play a major role in helping the UK meet its ambitious CO2-reduction targets, as Nick Appleyard explains

How green is the coalition?

Published date: 07-Sep-10

Stephen Cirell looks at the new government’s commitment so far for the green agenda.

Ten tips for weathering the storm

Published date: 01-Sep-10

Tough times call for strong leadership. Susie Kennedy presents her 10 top tips for commanders.

A helping hand

Published date: 01-Sep-10

Small businesses may dread a visit from local council officers, but there can be positive outcomes, says Derek Allen.

The end of border control?

Published date: 01-Sep-10

Few have realised the drive towards localism could create revenue as well as savings. But the Home Office and Brent LBC have hit on a way to achieve both. Chris Smith reports.

When it comes to efficiency, Birmingham means business

Published date: 01-Sep-10

As spending cuts loom, Europe’s largest local authority has already made huge efficiency savings, as Stephen Hughes explains.

Frameworks are an idea whose time has come

Published date: 01-Sep-10

Framework agreements between councils and private service providers offer an opportunity to save cash, says Eric Bohl.

For us, the phoney war is over

Published date: 01-Sep-10

Encouraging a spirit of entrepreneurship from the shop floor to the boardroom will help councils meet acute spending pressures, as Tom Whiting explains.

Who will cut the mustard?

Published date: 01-Sep-10

Jim Brooks looks at the difficulties facing authorities as they try to cut their spending.

Boroughs get super-minded

Published date: 01-Sep-10

Three London boroughs are moving on from merely sharing services to creating single, ‘super’ entities, with overall responsibilities. Heather Jameson reports.

Local government’s got talent

Published date: 01-Sep-10

The first-ever winner of the Local Government Challenge, Rachel Allen, tells Heather Jameson about her experiences in the competition.

Our vision for local government - David Miliband

Published date: 01-Sep-10

Labour leadership candidate and bookies favourite David Miliband outlines his local service priorities.

Our vision for local government - Andy Burnham

Published date: 01-Sep-10

Labour leadership candidate Andy Burnham outlines his local service priorities.

Win or lose?

Published date: 01-Sep-10

Local government is wrong to celebrate the end of the Audit Commission, says Robert Hill.

A council’s wider obligations

Published date: 26-Aug-10

In the second article on employment regulation, Kiran Daurka investigates to wider obligations that public bodies have to abide by compared to the private sector.

Will the two-tier code be scrapped?

Published date: 17-Aug-10

The two-tier code was designed to protect staff working in out-sourced council services. Now, the Government is considering scrapping the code. Mark Hammerton reports.

The axe comes to local quangos

Published date: 17-Aug-10

Nicholas Werran looks at the changing architecture of regional and local development organisations under the new government.

Getting the best deal from a developer

Published date: 17-Aug-10

It's more important than ever that councils understand the economics of development when negotiating with builders, says Helen Meyler

Lessons for the coalition from hung councils

Published date: 17-Aug-10

Can Messrs Cameron and Clegg learn some lessons from local government where no overall control has been a feature for years? George Jones and John Stewart consider the options.

A business strategy for growing local

Published date: 17-Aug-10

‘Growth coalitions’, the potential successors to local strategic partnerships (LSPs), seek to drive growth in local economies. Adam Fineberg looks at their impact.