Budget


Budget 2021: Failure to fix 'broken' social care system 04/03/2021 The chancellor has faced criticism for failing to address the social care crisis in his Budget yesterday.
Budget 2021: Leeds wins bank as infrastructure cash goes North 03/03/2021 The new National Infrastructure Bank will be based in Leeds, the chancellor revealed alongside other Budget announcements badged under the Government’s ‘leveling up’ agenda.
Budget 2021: Eight new freeport sites named 03/03/2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak closed his Budget speech today with a commitment to eight new 'freeport' sites - international gateways set to enjoy a raft of tax breaks from later this year.
Budget 2021: OBR highlights post-war peak in public spending 03/03/2021 Total public spending is expected to rise by £256bn or 29% in 2020/21, the largest increase on record and the largest percentage rise since just after the oil price shock in 1974/75 according to the Office for Budget Responsibility.
Budget 2021: Sunak vows to do 'whatever it takes' to help businesses 03/03/2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has vowed to ‘do whatever it takes’ to support businesses as the country looks to a post-coronavirus future.
Budget 2021: Sunak warns of pain to come 03/03/2021 Chancellor Rishi Sunak has unveiled a budget to protect ‘livelihood and jobs’ – with a warning of public finance pain to come.
Budget 2021: Furlough scheme extended until autumn 03/03/2021 The chancellor has extended the furlough scheme and announced further funding for apprenticeships in a bid to soften the impact of COVID-19 on jobs.
Budget 2021: Chancellor confirms £4.8bn ‘levelling up fund’ 03/03/2021 Rishi Sunak has confirmed that the first round of the £4.8bn Levelling Up Fund will be available to local areas to help tackle regional inequalities.
Budget 2021: Sunak freezes VAT rate to support hospitality and tourism 03/03/2021 Support for hospitality and tourism businesses was underpinned in the Budget by a freezing of the current 5% rate of VAT for another six months until the end of September.
Budget 2021: Stamp duty holiday extended and new mortgage guarantee scheme 03/03/2021 The chancellor has extended the stamp duty holiday and created a new mortgage guarantee scheme for people who can’t afford a big deposit to help boost the housing market in his Budget.
Budget 2021: Universal credit boost extended for six months 03/03/2021 The £20 uplift to Universal Credit has been extended for a further six months, the chancellor has confirmed in his Budget today.
BUDGET 2021: Sunak's lifeline for workers and business 03/03/2021 Rishi Sunak’s Budget is expected to provide a lifeline for workers as the furlough scheme is extended to September while the universal credit £20 uplift could also be prolonged for six months.
Calls to use Budget to tackle 'rent debt crisis' 18/02/2021 The chancellor has been warned that homelessness will increase if he fails to tackle the rent debt crisis in the upcoming Budget.
Four councils get emergency bail out deal from Government 11/02/2021 Four councils that are unable to balance their budgets will receive emergency funding from the Government.
Coronavirus leads to scrapping of three-year Spending Review 21/10/2020 Plans to create a three-year settlement for public spending have been abandoned as latest figures show the havoc coronavirus is wreaking on the public finances.
Oldham Council asks staff to consider ‘voluntary redundancy’ 21/08/2020 Oldham Council have announced that they are asking staff to consider voluntary redundancy in order to help the authority close a £30m funding gap.
Nottingham Council to cut more than 150 jobs 22/07/2020 Nottingham City Council has announced 154 jobs will be lost as part of emergency plans to save an additional £12.5m.
Leeds council concerned £200m of Covid costs will lead to cuts 17/06/2020 The leader of Leeds City Council has called for urgent Government support as the costs of coronavirus in the city approaches £200m.
Council chiefs call for action to resolve £6bn Covid-19 crisis 16/06/2020 Local authority leaders have urged the Government to provide detailed plans on how to ensure the financial stability of cash-strapped councils.
Council planning powers under threat 08/06/2020 Planning powers could be shifted from local authorities to development corporations as part of an economic stimulus package to be announced by Prime Minister Boris Johnson later this month.
£3bn bed blocking coronavirus cash injection 19/03/2020 Almost £3bn of the Government’s £5bn Covid-19 funding will go towards freeing up at least 15,000 English hospital beds by the end of next week, the Department of Health and Social Care has announced.
Budget 2020: Sunak reveals spending spree for first budget 11/03/2020 New chancellor Rishi Sunak has unveiled a Budget to end austerity, boost productivity and tackle the problems created by coronavirus.
Budget 2020: Flood-hit areas to share £200m defence fund 11/03/2020 The money will go to 25 areas based on criteria including repeated flooding.
Budget 2020: New West Yorkshire mayor announced 11/03/2020 A new directly-elected West Yorkshire mayor has been announced with the Government signing a new devolution deal amid plans to ‘level up’ the UK economy.
Budget 2020: 'Record’ £5bn broadband investment for hardest to reach areas 11/03/2020 Chancellor Rishi Sunak today announced in the Budget a ‘record’ £5bn investment to get gigabit-capable broadband into the hardest to reach parts of the UK.
Councils report 'huge overspends' on social care 04/03/2020 More than eight out of ten councils overspent on children's social care last year, with nearly half (47%) spending more than their adult social care budget, new figures have shown.
Scottish councils warn budget will 'devastate communities' 18/02/2020 Councils in Scotland have warned that efforts to tackle child poverty, climate change or deliver inclusive growth are at risk under the draft budget.
Urban councils call for fiscal devolution to end ‘Whitehall hand-outs’ 10/02/2020 Urban authorities have joined forces to urge the Government to devolve power to cities in order to support them in ‘levelling up’ growth across the country.
Councils welcome early Budget for Scotland 14/01/2020 Council leaders in Scotland have welcomed the news of an early Scottish Budget to provide certainty for public services.
Councils still being held back from building more homes finds report 07/01/2020 Local authorities are still being held back from providing more homes, a new report examining the future for council housing has argued.
Javid pledges ‘decade of renewal’ in next Budget 07/01/2020 The chancellor has pledged to use his first Budget to ‘unleash’ Britain’s potential and usher in a ‘decade of renewal’.
Oxford CC publishes £19m climate emergency budget 17/12/2019 Oxford City Council has outlined a £19m climate emergency budget to help the authority become a zero carbon council in 2020.
Public spending still lower than pre-recession, says IFS 07/11/2019 Planned hikes in public spending would still leave spending in 2020-21 3% lower than it was in 2010-11, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
Javid confirms date of ‘fast-tracked’ Spending Round 28/08/2019 Chancellor Sajid Javid has confirmed the date of the fast-tracked Spending Round announced earlier this month.
Councils exceed children’s social care budget by £800m 27/08/2019 Funding shortages and demand pressures forced local authorities to overspend on their children’s social care budgets by nearly £800m last year, LGA warns.
Adult education budget devolved to six combined authorities 01/08/2019 Six mayoral combined authorities and the GLA will be responsible for the adult education budget in their areas from today, the Government has announced.
‘Well-run’ council faces £15m budget gap 10/07/2019 A council claiming to be one of the best-managed in the country has warned it must have more Government money if it is to provide a 'decent level of services'.
Crisis-hit Northants delivers balanced budget with £4.5m underspend 03/07/2019 Northamptonshire County Council yesterday announced it had delivered a balanced budget for this financial year with an underspend of £4.5m.
Birmingham to axe over 1,000 jobs due to ‘brutal’ Whitehall cuts 27/02/2019 Britain's biggest council says it is facing 'the most challenging period its history' after announcing a further round of huge cuts in its workforce.
Northamptonshire approves 4.99% council tax rise 22/02/2019 Northamptonshire County Council has taken advantage of special freedom to increase council tax by 4.99% without needing to hold a referendum.
MHCLG to make 'compelling case' for more funding 13/02/2019 Local government minister Rishi Sunak has vowed that his department will ‘make a compelling case’ for more funding ahead of this year’s Spending Review.
Scottish council to cut 150 jobs 08/02/2019 Aberdeenshire Council is considering cutting up to 150 jobs over the next year in a bid to make savings.
Northamptonshire budget process a ‘rollercoaster’ 07/02/2019 The chief executive of Northamptonshire CC said the council’s budget was prepared with the speed of a rollercoaster.
Scottish council chiefs ‘disappointed’ by Holyrood cuts 13/12/2018 Council chiefs in Scotland are ‘disappointed’ that the value of local services was not recognised by the Scottish government in yesterday’s budget.
Council reduces workforce by 138 to balance budget 26/11/2018 Over 130 Bath and North East Somerset Council workers have been made redundant at a cost to the council of £4.75m.
Budget 2018: Hammond praises local government 29/10/2018 In a Budget billed as the end of austerity, chancellor Phillip Hammond praised local government’s contribution to rescuing public finances and doled out cash for adult social care, mental health, high streets and roads.
Budget 2018: £800m cash injection for social care 29/10/2018 Social care has been given an £800m boost in today’s Budget after chancellor Philip Hammond said he recognised the ‘immediate pressures’ local authorities were facing.
Budget 2018: Google and Amazon to be hit by new tax 29/10/2018 A new UK digital services tax aimed at giants such as Google and Amazon will be narrowly targeted on UK-generated revenues from April 2020.
Budget 2018: Cash for care could be swallowed up by rates relief 28/10/2018 Chancellor Phillip Hammond is expected to announce nearly a billion pounds for social care in an austerity-busting budget later today.
Surge in child protection plans pushing services to ‘tipping point’ 25/10/2018 Children’s services are approaching the point of crisis following a jump in demand, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.
Whitehall must spend £19bn annually to end austerity 16/10/2018 Theresa May’s promise to bring an ‘end to austerity’ is incompatible with the chancellor’s aim of balancing the books by the mid-2020s, financial experts say.
Northants confirms £65m cuts package 10/10/2018 Crisis-hit Northamptonshire County Council has confirmed a £65m cuts package aimed at tackling a huge shortfall in its finances.
Up to 130 jobs at risk at Somerset Council 04/09/2018 Staff will be forced to take two days unpaid leave, up to 130 jobs could be lost, winter gritting will be cut and a park-and-ride service suspended under a package of proposals by Somerset County Council to save £13m.
Equal pay claims will put 'unprecedented' pressure on council, warns watchdog 23/08/2018 The cost of resolving equal pay claims could put 'unprecedented financial pressure' on council services in Glasgow, the spending watchdog has warned.
Northamptonshire CC plan to save £70m ‘very tall order’ 10/08/2018 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 18/06/2018 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 09/05/2018 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 05/04/2018 Decisive leadership is needed to ensure council services remain sustainable, the spending watchdog for Scotland has warned.
County at ‘crisis point’ announces revised budget 28/02/2018 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 06/02/2018 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 29/01/2018 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 08/01/2018 Thurrock Council in Essex is claiming be the first local authority of its size to become financially 'self-sufficient'.
LGA attacks 'counter-productive' cut 21/12/2017 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 14/12/2017 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.
Council funding could be cut in half in next two years 11/12/2017 Councils face a 'cliff edge' unless the government provides urgent extra funding, local authorities leaders have warned - with some services disappearing altogether.
Budget 2017: Devolution and housing key planks in speech 22/11/2017 Philip Hammond’s first Autumn Budget has seen the chancellor unveil a raft of new devolution deals, measures to boost housing and changes to resolve issues with controversial Universal Credit.
Budget 2017: New devo deals for WMCA and North of Tyne 22/11/2017 The chancellor has pledged to ‘back’ the Northern Powerhouse, the Midlands Engine and elected mayors as he announced a pack of new devolution deals.
Budget 2017: £2.6bn for STPs 22/11/2017 Chancellor Philip Hammond has announced £2.6bn for the NHS’ sustainability and transformation partnerships (STP) in today’s Budget.
Budget 2017: Housing Revenue Account cap lifted for some 22/11/2017 The Housing Revenue Account cap will be lifted for councils in ‘high-demand areas’ and stamp duty will be scrapped for most first-time buyers, chancellor Philip Hammond announced in his Budget speech today.
Budget 2017: London to retain all local business rate growth 22/11/2017 London local government will be able to keep all its business rates growth as part of a 100% retention pilot.
Council work highlighted ahead of Budget 21/11/2017 Local authorities have used this year’s 24-hour tweet-a-thon as an opportunity to showcase the huge range of services they provide ahead of a crunch Budget.
Council to cut workforce by 15% by 2020 16/11/2017 Around 300 full-time jobs will be lost at Bath & North East Somerset Council as it tries to find savings of £16m by 2020.
County outlines savings of £27m 15/11/2017 Suffolk County Council is planning to increase council tax for the first time in seven years in its budget for the year ahead.
Six in ten councils make progress on business rates relief 15/11/2017 More than 200 councils have now reissued business rates bills in accordance with the Government’s discretionary relief package, latest figures have shown.
Newcastle warns of 40 potential job cuts 13/11/2017 Newcastle City Council has announced it will have to save more than £13m next year and raise council tax in order to set a balanced budget, leading to the loss of 40 full-time jobs.
Rate rise adds 'insult to injury' for public sector workers 02/11/2017 The Bank of England's interest rate rise adds 'insult to injury' for public sector employees, union chief Dave Prentis has claimed.

Sharpening the commercial edge

The case for well-managed council commercial activity is one that needs to be defended if we want a mature and sustainable local state, argues Jonathan Werran.

Slow and steady wins the (cloud migration) race

Sascha Giese? argues that when it comes to cloud migration, local authorities would be wise to opt for a more strategic route and take their time.

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