Budget

• Northamptonshire CC plan to save £70m ‘very tall order’

  Northamptonshire CC may face serious hurdles making savings by renegotiating contracts with third-party suppliers, public sector procurement expert warns.

  

• Fresh finance warning for Northamptonshire County Council

  Northamptonshire CC’s finance director has issued an early warning the county already risks missing key savings targets that enabled it to agree a legal budget.

  

• Crisis-hit county manages to balance its books

  Northamptonshire County Council has balanced the books for 2017/2018 and end the financial year without using all of its reserves.

  

• Councils need ‘decisive’ leadership to manage budget cuts

  Decisive leadership is needed to ensure council services remain sustainable, the spending watchdog for Scotland has warned.

  

• County at ‘crisis point’ announces revised budget

  Northamptonshire County Council has announced revised budget savings after being warned by auditors to revise its spending plans.

  

• MPs call on Government to ‘take over’ Northamptonshire CC

  Northamptonshire’s MPs have all signed a statement saying they had ‘no confidence’ in the council’s leadership due to its ‘self-inflicted’ financial problems.

  

• Labour accuses Government of 'holding back' local government

  Labour MPs have urged ministers to provide ‘strategic vision’ for local government.

  

• Essex council claims it is on track to become UK's first self-sufficient unitary authority

  Thurrock Council in Essex is claiming be the first local authority of its size to become financially 'self-sufficient'.

  

• LGA attacks 'counter-productive' cut

  A cut to councils’ public health grants has been criticised by the Local Government Association (LGA) for being ‘short-sighted and extremely counter-productive’.

  

• Scots Budget reveals plan to increase income tax bands

  The Scottish Government has unveiled a draft budget which raises income tax in a bid to raise an extra £164m to pay for public services.