Breaking down England's fiscal devolution plans
David Phillips of the IFS tells LocalGov why England's regional finance reforms are modest by global comparison and what ministers still need to get right.
Capital borrowing falls by a fifth in two years, data reveals
02/08/2022 Councils’ prudential borrowing for capital expenditure has fallen 22% in two years, official data confirmed. |
Employers put forward flat rate rise in council staff pay
25/07/2022 Employers have offered a flat rate pay rise of £1,925 to all council staff. |
Kent calls for urgent response to Dover chaos
25/07/2022 Kent CC and its local partners have called for an urgent national response to the chaos and delays approaching the Port of Dover after distributing water and food to those affected through the weekend. |
Sandwell refuse workers secure 9% pay rise to avoid strike action
22/07/2022 Refuse workers in Sandwell MBC have called off a planned strike due to start next week after accepting a 9% pay increase and securing additional annual leave. |
Employers warn against local pay deals
19/07/2022 Councils have been warned against undermining the ‘fundamental integrity’ of national talks by agreeing local deals as pressure grows on pay. |
Government urged to scale up levelling up
18/07/2022 The Government is focusing on the right issues as part of its levelling up agenda but needs to dramatically scale up investment and effort, according to the Institute for Government (IfG) think-tank. |
Early intervention cuts trigger crisis interventions
18/07/2022 Councils, young people and families are trapped in a ‘vicious cycle’ due to the halving of investment in early intervention over the last decade, the largest children’s charities have warned. |
Council chiefs warn of 'disastrous' financial crisis
27/06/2022 More councils could be tipped into financial crisis while others face emergency cuts due to soaring inflation and living wage increases, the LGA warned today. |
Commissioners to oversee strategic decisions at Nottingham
23/06/2022 Commissioners are to oversee strategic decisions at Nottingham City Council amid fears of ‘further serious issues’ on the scale that led to a section 114. |
Rising wage bill could lead to service cuts
21/06/2022 Government pledges on the National Living Wage (NLW) could cost councils at least £400m over the next two years and force further service cuts, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned. |
UK comes under pressure to adopt rights charter
26/04/2022 Local leaders will continue to be ‘heavily constrained’ until the UK follows through on its promise to guarantee the rights of local government in law, a sector expert has warned. |
Grenfell council admits leadership was 'unable to cope'
12/04/2022 Kensington & Chelsea LBC has admitted to the Grenfell Tower inquiry its ‘leadership was unable to cope’ in the days after the tragedy. |
Government vows to end 'postcode lottery' on SEND
29/03/2022 Schools, councils and health providers will need to work together to support children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) with more targeted funding, a Government green paper said today. |
Ministers urged to reverse public health cuts
22/03/2022 The Local Government Association (LGA) has urged ministers to reverse public health cuts amid warnings the COVID-19 pandemic has left staff exhausted and exacerbated recruitment difficulties. |
Children left 'at unknown risk' in Solihull
21/02/2022 A report was commissioned in December following the conviction of a father and stepmother for the murder of six-year-old Arthur Labinjo-Hughes. |
Shortcomings revealed in second child murder case
14/12/2021 A second court case in a month has revealed serious shortcomings in how local agencies responded to allegations of abuse shortly before a child’s murder. |
Spielman: No silver bullet for children's social care
07/12/2021 Ofsted chief inspector Amanda Spielman has warned there is no ‘silver bullet’ to the long-term problems in the children’s social care sector. |
Powers warning ahead of new deals
07/12/2021 A new report today warns areas reluctant to accept directly-elected leaders in the next wave of devolution deals may be offered ‘fewer powers and flexibilities’. |
Powys' savings off target
01/11/2021 Powys CC’s savings plans are 22% off target more than halfway through the financial year, senior councillors have been warned. |
Commissioners to monitor Slough improvement plan
26/10/2021 Mismanagement and a dysfunctional culture contributed to Slough Council’s financial meltdown, two Government-ordered reviews have concluded. |
