Council elections: A testing time for party alignments
Like it or not, the council elections will be dominated by an issue that has nothing to do with local government, says Mark Whitehead.
Senior director resigns amid speculation of suspension
27/03/2019 A senior director at Aberdeen City Council has resigned, the local authority has confirmed. |
Holyrood publishes guidance to help support young people with additional needs
27/03/2019 Councils in Scotland are being given extra help to improve its 'world-leading' education for young people with additional support needs. |
Scottish councils ‘lack diversity’, report reveals
11/03/2019 Women and ethnic minorities are underrepresented at the local level in Scotland and many face harassment, an equalities study has revealed. |
Scottish councils ‘delighted’ at new pay deal with unions
05/03/2019 Council workers have welcomed a new pay deal that is set to deliver cost of living increases over the next few years after a decade of stagnating wages. |
Scotland’s landfill ban will be £100m tax gift to England, waste experts say
27/02/2019 Waste management experts have ‘expressed deep concern’ that Scotland is not prepared for a landfill ban which will lead to higher haulage costs for councils. |
Holyrood passes £42.5bn budget but warns of Brexit recession
22/02/2019 Holyrood has approved the 2019-20 budget which will see billions invested into public services — but warned Brexit could push Scotland into recession. |
Edinburgh council votes in favour of ‘tourist tax’
08/02/2019 City of Edinburgh councillors have voted in favour for what could be the UK’s first ‘tourist tax’. |
Nearly £1bn cut from Scottish authorities in past eight years
05/02/2019 Funding cuts are finally beginning to take their toll as Scottish councils can no longer protect services, according to report published today. |
Tax reforms and £90m secured in Scottish budget deal
31/01/2019 A £90m windfall for local authorities and moves to reform council tax have been pledged by the Scottish Government. |
Holyrood urged to promote gender equality in education
25/01/2019 The Scottish government is being urged to establish a new commission to promote equality for girls and women in education. |
MSPs urge councils to provide free music lessons
22/01/2019 Local authorities have been urged not to charge for music tuition in schools, in a new report published by MSPs. |
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. |
Scottish councils ‘concerned’ at lack of social housing
13/12/2018 Three-quarters of Scottish adults think there is a shortage of homes for social rent, according to research from a public sector procurement specialist. |
Pressure on Scottish councils ‘shows no signs of easing’
29/11/2018 Scottish councils are managing in the face of cuts and rising demands on services but they ‘face a difficult time ahead’, a financial watchdog has warned. |
Councillors silenced on secret fiscal devolution report
31/10/2018 Senior councillors have been warned not to talk about a secret Local Government Association (LGA) report that models what fiscal devolution might look like, The MJ has been told. |
Unions offered new pay rise to avert strike action
14/09/2018 A new pay offer has been put forward by councils in Scotland in a bid to avert industrial action. |
Northern Irish councils call for further devolution
21/06/2018 The time is now right to extend the responsibilities of local government in Northern Ireland through greater devolution from Stormont, a new report said today. |
Local government figures celebrated in Queen's birthday honours
11/06/2018 The former interim chief executive of Birmingham City Council, Stella Manzie, has been made a Dame in the Queen’s birthday honours for services to local government. |
Scottish council chiefs warn cuts have left them ‘no room’ to manoeuvre
22/05/2018 Scottish local government leaders warn they have ‘no room left to manoeuvre’ as new figures reveal the extent of cuts to council budgets. |
Whitehall grabs £875m Right to Buy receipts
25/04/2018 Labour has demanded immediate Right to Buy (RTB) reforms after figures obtained by The MJ revealed the amount councils lose to Whitehall under the regime. |
Scottish council staff urged to reject ‘unacceptable’ pay offer
13/04/2018 A Scottish trade union has urged its members to reject the offer of a pay increase up to 3%. |
Scottish government under pressure over council pay
22/01/2018 Scotland’s Government is under pressure to reverse planned council budget cuts after MSPs warned ministers created an ‘expectation’ town hall staff would receive pay hikes. |
Unions call for 6.5% pay increase for Scottish council workers
15/01/2018 Trade unions representing local government workers across Scotland have called for a 6.5% pay rise for Scottish council workers. |
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. |
Participatory budgeting given go ahead in Scotland
30/10/2017 Residents in Scotland will be given a say in how £100m of council funds are to be used after a ‘landmark’ agreement was reached between the Scottish Government and the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities. |
Holyrood introduces ‘first ever’ Islands Bill
13/06/2017 A bill dedicated to protecting the ‘unique needs’ of Scotland’s islands was introduced to the Scottish Parliament yesterday. |
The March issue of Local Government News explores alternative funding channels that are available to councils beyond the Public Works Loan Board, what hurdles merging councils face in coming together, and how local government is handling GDPR.
This issue also has a special highways and street lighting section exploring how councils can use lighting to embark on their smart city journey and using IoT technology to weather the storm.
