Whitehall


Council to appeal 'town hall Pravdas' ruling 14/06/2019 Waltham Forest LBC will appeal after a judge backed Government attempts to stop it publishing a council newspaper every two weeks.
Call for leader to quit after 'repeated failures' 05/06/2019 Shadow local government secretary Andrew Gwynne has called for Northamptonshire CC leader, Matt Golby, to quit after ‘repeated failures’ in the council’s children’s services.
NAO to wade into fair funding review 05/06/2019 The National Audit Office (NAO) is gearing up to scrutinise the Government’s divisive fair funding review, The MJ can reveal.
Government pays £15m to councils after business rate 'error' 03/06/2019 The Government may have to pay out up to £15m to councils after it made yet another error in its business rate pilot administration.
Delay to Northamptonshire reorganisation welcomed 14/05/2019 Council leaders have welcomed the year-long delay to plans to create two new unitaries in Northamptonshire.
Stopping youth homelessness is 'patchy' says think tank 14/05/2019 A year after the Homelessness Reduction Act, progress on youth homelessness prevention is patchy across local authority areas, a think tank has revealed.
Brokenshire moves to boost local government accountability 09/05/2019 Brokenshire moves to impose fresh conditions on ‘top slice’ cash
Councils urged to 'embrace scrutiny' 08/05/2019 Councils have been urged to ‘embrace scrutiny’ of their spending decisions in new guidance issued by the Government.
Security fears after candidate addresses published 02/05/2019 Security concerns have been raised after a loophole forced councils to publish the home addresses of candidates standing in the EU elections.
Councils' role in asylum system to be bolstered 23/04/2019 Plans are being drawn up that will give councils more of a say in where asylum seekers are accommodated.
Concern over councils' ability to cope with polls 17/04/2019 Council chiefs have raised concerns with Government about the sector’s capacity to run EU elections so close on the heels of local polls.
Housing advisor fired for 'racist' comments 11/04/2019 The Government has sacked its housing advisor Sir Roger Scruton after the conservative philosopher appeared unrepentant about his claims that Hungarian Jews are part of a “Soros empire”.
Corbyn launches attack on fair funding review 11/04/2019 Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn has entered the debate over the fair funding review, claiming it ‘will make poorer areas even poorer’.
Call for inspection pause in case of Brexit hit 10/04/2019 Council chiefs have urged Whitehall to be ready to ease pressures on the sector for up to six months if Brexit threatens to stretch capacity.
Councils defend council tax hikes 27/03/2019 Councils have had ‘little choice’ but to raise council tax to protect local services, the Local Government Association has said, after the latest tax rises were revealed.
Think tank suggests introduction of local income tax 21/03/2019 Local income tax would be the best option for fiscal devolution if the Government wanted to hand more powers to local authorities, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) argued today.
Sector fumes over lack of pre-Brexit briefing 21/02/2019 Councils have threatened to walk away from Government attempts to engage with them on Brexit amid growing frustrations about the response to their concerns.
Brokenshire slams door on One Yorkshire plan 12/02/2019 Communities secretary James Brokenshire has told regional leaders that their plans for a One Yorkshire metro mayor fails to meet the Government’s devolution criteria.
Labour would create local government commission 11/02/2019 Labour would create a new commission that would allow councillors to influence every decision that affects local authorities if they won a General Election.
Call for tourism tax review 05/02/2019 An inquiry into cultural investment in cities has called for a UK-wide review of the benefits of a tourism tax.
Brokenshire gets Brexit breakdown from chiefs 31/01/2019 Chief executives have told communities secretary James Brokenshire Whitehall needs to be more joined up between departments and in its communications with councils over Brexit.
LGA faces financial headache 25/01/2019 Smith Square has acknowledged the financial challenges it faces as it freezes subscriptions while grappling with declining Government grants and a pension scheme deficit.
Auditors bid to explain real cause of difference in councils' spend on kids 23/01/2019 A nine-fold variation in spending on children’s social care could largely be down to ‘differences in characteristics’ between councils, according to a National Audit Office (NAO) study.
Buckinghamshire districts threaten legal action over unitary plan 21/01/2019 Two Buckinghamshire districts have written to the Government warning they could launch legal proceedings over plans to create a single county unitary.
Whitehall 'leadership' needed to help councils cope with financial pressures 15/01/2019 The Government must improve oversight and transparency over local authorities to ensure their financial sustainability, the National Audit Office (NAO) has said.
Watchdog highlights councils' weak financial plans 10/01/2019 The number of public bodies in England with weak financial plans is ‘unacceptably high,’ the National Audit Office (NAO) has found.
Ministers play down commercialisation 'crackdown' 10/01/2019 Ministers have played down the prospect of a widespread crackdown on councils that borrow for commercial reasons.
Rudd delays Universal Credit rollout 07/01/2019 Work and pensions secretary Amber Rudd has delayed the next phase of the Universal Credit (UC) rollout amid ongoing concerns over the controversial system.
Consultation plans for council tree felling proposed 03/01/2019 Councils would be required to consult residents before cutting down trees in urban areas under Government plans.
Councils warn of impact of public health funding cuts 21/12/2018 Councils have reacted angrily to ‘short-sighted’ cuts to public health funding next year by the Government.
Finance settlement: Government floats commercialisation crackdown 13/12/2018 Whitehall is considering a crackdown on councils that excessively borrow for commercial reasons as it continues to restrict council tax rises.
Anderson quits Northern Powerhouse Partnership in frustration 10/12/2018 Former chancellor George Osborne has voiced sympathy with Liverpool mayor Joe Anderson’s decision to quit the Northern Powerhouse Partnership.
Local government finance settlement delayed by Brexit debate 05/12/2018 Today's provisional local government finance settlement has been delayed – just weeks after Whitehall agreed to bring it forward and fix a date.
Northants can use £70m in capital receipts to plug finance gap 29/11/2018 Northamptonshire CC will be allowed to use £70m in capital receipts to plug its financial black hole, local government secretary James Brokenshire has ruled.
Brexit will not halt economic growth, says Walkley 29/11/2018 Economic growth will not grind to a halt when we leave the European Union, chief executive of Homes England Nick Walkley has predicted.
MHCLG ‘not expecting another Northamptonshire situation’ 26/11/2018 Local government finances are sustainable and the collapse of another authority is not expected, the ministry’s top civil servant has insisted.
Universal Credit bad for people's health - academics 15/11/2018 Universal Credit (UC) is bad for health and wellbeing, academics have found in a new study commissioned by Gateshead MBC.
Brokenshire in shared prosperity fund threat 15/11/2018 Communities secretary James Brokenshire has threatened to withhold the shared prosperity fund (SPF) from areas that fail to remove local enterprise partnership (LEP) overlaps.
Labour hits out at housing cash shift 12/11/2018 Labour has called for all areas to receive greater Government backing after Whitehall shifted the focus of its housing cash.
Councils losing millions through tax loophole 07/11/2018 A loophole that could be costing English local authorities millions in lost council tax is to be reviewed by ministers.
Single unitary council for Bucks gets the go-ahead 01/11/2018 Buckinghamshire’s five councils are to be scrapped in favour of a single county-wide unitary, communities secretary James Brokenshire has announced.
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.
No-deal Brexit disruption warning 31/10/2018 Local authorities have been warned to prepare for up to three months of disruption in the event of a no-deal Brexit.
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: Billion-pound Universal Credit pledge 29/10/2018 A billion pounds has been promised in an attempt to ease benefits claimants’ transition to Universal Credit.
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: 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.
Ministry moves on Brexit 24/10/2018 Senior Marsham Street officials have stepped up their preparations for Brexit after complaints from frustrated councils that they were being shut out of the process.
EXCLUSIVE: Future of new homes bonus cast in doubt 04/10/2018 The future of the £7bn New Homes Bonus is in doubt, after Treasury ministers revealed they believe the policy has failed.
Universal Credit chief admits support is not working 01/10/2018 The civil servant in charge of the Universal Credit rollout has admitted support for claimants has not been effective, as responsibility was handed to the charity sector.
Whitehall demands in-year cuts to improvement programme 19/09/2018 The sector’s ability to respond to crises such as a care provider failure could be hit after Whitehall demanded cuts to a key improvement programme, senior councillors have been warned.
Welfare support has 'collapsed' for many in England 19/09/2018 One in six top-tier councils are not providing vital welfare services devolved to them just as the sector’s budget cuts hit hard.
Auditors warn councils over debt chasing 06/09/2018 Funding pressures in local government could mean councils are pursuing debt repayments ‘too quickly and too aggressively,’ a report by national auditors suggested today.
LEPs told to improve ahead of EU funding changes 06/09/2018 Fresh concerns have emerged about local enterprise partnerships (LEP) as the Government considers whether to use them to funnel UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) cash.
Working homeless figures soar over five years 23/07/2018 The number of families described as ‘working homeless’ has soared over the past five years, housing charity Shelter has warned.
Recycling rates could be boosted by fraud, says auditors 23/07/2018 The UK’s success at recycling may be being boosted by fraudulent exports of unrecyclable materials, auditors have claimed.
Public finances perform better than expected 20/07/2018 Public finances continue to perform better than expectations, although total borrowing is up year-on-year even before the promised increase in health spending.
Funding call to end 'postcode lottery' for children's services 11/07/2018 MPs today called for more funds to help end a so-called postcode lottery for children’s services.
Brokenshire considering new devolution models 10/07/2018 James Brokenshire is considering new models of devolution as he seeks to extend further powers to local areas, the communities secretary has insisted.
Councils sign up to digital declaration 04/07/2018 The Government has announced a new digital declaration, backed up by £7.5m funding, to help councils transform their online services.
Hawthorne: Local industrial strategies could go same way as devolution 04/07/2018 Parts of the country could be left behind when Whitehall rolls out its local industrial strategies, a senior Local Government Association (LGA) figure has warned.
Brokenshire dodges funding commitment pledge 03/07/2018 Communities secretary James Brokenshire has failed to make a firm commitment to fighting for more funding for councils despite warnings the 'bank of local government is running on empty'.
Double standards? 28/06/2018 When it comes to improving public services, what’s good for local government should be good for central government. Piali Das Gupta looks at why the latter can benefit from adopting the principles of the former
DWP under fire over Universal Credit 14/06/2018 Auditors have heavily criticised the Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) for the design and implementation of Universal Credit.
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.
Scrap all districts says Heseltine 05/06/2018 District councils should be scrapped and 60 unitary counties created instead across England led by directly-elected mayors according to former Cabinet minister Lord Heseltine
Northampton unitary plan falls 15/05/2018 The tight timeframe for reorganising local government across Northamptonshire claimed its first victim this week despite ministers’ decision to extend the consultation period.
Brokenshire announces Northamptonshire commissioners 09/05/2018 New local government secretary James Brokenshire has today announced the two commissioners appointed to help rescue troubled Northamptonshire CC.
MPs call for 'credible, long-term plan' for social care 09/05/2018 MPs today called on ministers to outline a ‘credible, long-term plan’ to reverse the perception of English social care as a ‘source of national shame’.
Brokenshire promises a 'hands on approach' to local government 02/05/2018 New secretary of state James Brokenshire has declared himself to be ‘a real fan of local government’ and vowed to take a ‘hands on’ approach to his relationship with the sector.
Northants to have improvement board 02/05/2018 Northamptonshire CC will establish an improvement board that will work closely with government commissioners to improve the county’s finances and governance ahead of reorganisation.
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.
Report scathing on public sector accountability 23/04/2018 Britain’s system of public sector accountability is failing to keep up with the realities of modern government, a think-tank has warned.
Welsh Government in new push for larger councils 20/03/2018 Local government in Wales is facing a radical overhaul, with ministers consulting on plans to create ‘larger, stronger councils’.
IFS implores action over growing social care funding chasm 20/03/2018 The Government will need to scrap its funding reforms, significantly boost top-ups or centralise care if it is to plug the social care funding gap, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has warned today.
Javid orders review after second council payment error 20/03/2018 The Government has ordered a review after being forced to admit a second mistake in as many months in the way it calculates council payments.
Five councils to help with Government integration plan 14/03/2018 The Government will work with five local authorities to develop integration plans as it develops a national strategy for England, it has announced today.
Hammond offers little respite for council finances 13/03/2018 Council finances were offered little respite in chancellor Philip Hammond’s Spring Statement today.
Mandatory reporting calls rejected by Government 05/03/2018 Ministers today rejected calls for the mandatory reporting of suspected child abuse – claiming an effective case for a new law has not been made.
Whitehall's local government finance cover-up is exposed 20/02/2018 Key Whitehall departments involved in attempt to bury changes to provisional finance settlement data.
Government fostering report calls for councils to work with agencies 07/02/2018 Collaboration between local authorities and the private sector would improve foster care for children, a new Government report has suggested.
EXCLUSIVE: Funding red flags raised 06/02/2018 One in 10 council bosses fear their local authority will not have enough funding to fulfil their statutory duties in 2018/19, an exclusive survey has found today.
Call for Javid to resign after 'misleading' House of Commons 06/02/2018 Shadow local government secretary Andrew Gwynne has demanded the resignation of his counterpart Sajid Javid after the minister admitted he knew the data behind the provisional finance settlement was wrong.
Javid finds extra £166m in final settlement 06/02/2018 Local government secretary Sajid Javid has found an additional £166m to ease spending pressures in social care and rural areas in the final 2018/19 settlement.
Ethical standards in local government to be reviewed 30/01/2018 A review into how local government is supporting ethical standards is to be conducted by the Committee on Standards in Public Life.
EXCLUSIVE: Finance settlement 'shambles' after provisional data wrong 18/01/2018 The local government finance settlement has descended into a shambles after it emerged allocations in the provisional document were wrong, The MJ can exclusively reveal.
LEP moves to become 'most transparent' in England 16/01/2018 A local enterprise partnership (LEP) that had funding restrictions slapped on it by the Government has approved transparency measures that go beyond national guidance.
Districts call for council tax limit increase 16/01/2018 Districts have called for the council tax cap to be increased so they can raise an extra £9m.
Social care funding plea amid NHS crisis 04/01/2018 Social care directors have warned delays to operations and hospital admissions will continue without a long-term sustainable funding solution for their sector.
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’.
Councils win high-value home reprieve 20/12/2017 Local authorities will not be forced to sell high-value council homes until at least April 2019 after lobbying from the sector.
Government failing to act on public inquiries despite £639m bill finds report 13/12/2017 The Government has spent huge amounts of money on public inquiries in recent years but usually fail to follow them up, according to new research.
Industrial Strategy snubs councils 27/11/2017 Business secretary Greg Clark has snubbed councils and empowered local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) in the Government’s long-awaited Industrial Strategy.
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: 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.
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.
'Landmark' health and social care devolution deal agreed for London 15/11/2017 National and local leaders have signed a ‘landmark’ devolution deal for health and social care in London.
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.
Government refusal to hold inquiry into Orgreave clashes ‘appalling’, says council 03/01/2017 A Derbyshire council has joined a growing band of local authorities in condemning the home secretary’s decision not to hold an inquiry into police brutality during the 1984 miners’ strike.
Whitehall to start Brexit process early next year 03/10/2016 The Government will trigger Article 50 before the end of next March and put before parliament a bill that will remove from the statute book the European Communities Act.

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