10 ways councils are making budgets go further
Discover 10 ways councils are stretching budgets further, from digital transformation and energy efficiency to community partnerships and data-driven decision-making.
EXCLUSIVE: Intervention cost hits £9.5m
30/10/2025 Councils have been forced to shell out £9.5m on Government intervention over the last four years, research by The MJ has found. |
Late change to fair funding review expected
29/10/2025 Urban councils are expecting a ‘perverse' late change to proposed funding reform they fear would cost them hundreds of millions of pounds. |
Audit contracts extended by two years
23/10/2025 Public Sector Audit Appointments (PSAA) has extended its current audit contracts by two years following mutual agreement with the appointed firms. |
LGPS bigger than it has ever been
23/10/2025 Local Government Pension Scheme has continued to grow in size and is bigger than it has ever been, the latest release of statistics from the MHCLG has shown. |
National Wealth Fund to transform sector support
22/10/2025 A Treasury body created to boost economic growth through private investment and public funding has promised to work more closely with the sector. |
EXCLUSIVE: Section 151 recruitment crisis warning
21/10/2025 The sector is facing a recruitment crisis for section 151 officers, The MJ has been told. |
Reorganisation financial risk warning
20/10/2025 Local government reorganisation has been highlighted as a key concern by the Public Accounts Committee. |
LGA: Costs pushing many to financial brink
17/10/2025 Emergency government bailout agreements for councils are at risk of becoming ‘normalised’ as costs outstrip available resources and push many to the financial brink, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned ahead of the Budget. |
Reform council backs county unitary
15/10/2025 Reform-led Warwickshire CC has backed a plan for a county unitary and a bid to join the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA). |
EXCLUSIVE: Food waste new burdens assessment still not completed
09/10/2025 Whitehall has yet to complete a new burdens assessment for introducing separate food waste collections with six months until the policy has to be implemented. |
Experts' warning over Exceptional Financial Support
07/10/2025 Council finance experts urged the Government to ensure Exceptional Financial Support remains temporary and does not become ‘embedded in the public sector'. |
EXCLUSIVE: Councils warn of 'devastating' axing of net zero fund
07/10/2025 Councils have warned of the ‘devastating' impact after the Government failed to commit further investment in a fund viewed as key to net zero plans. |
Reform council announces 'once-in-a-generation' budget review
06/10/2025 The Reform UK leader of Leicestershire CC has announced a ‘once-in-a-generation' external review of its £616m yearly budget. |
Government axes cohesion fund
30/09/2025 The Government has insisted it is ‘absolutely committed to bridging the divides between our communities' despite axing a cohesion fund. |
Pension funds urged to engage with pools ahead of law change
26/09/2025 LGPS funds should engage with their pools now ahead of changes from the Pensions Schemes Bill passing into law, consultancy urges. |
EXCLUSIVE SURVEY: 'Women are being failed'
18/09/2025 One in 10 local authority female staff have experienced inappropriate touching by a manager, a landmark sexual harassment survey by Unite has found. |
Ministers axe elections holiday compensation
18/09/2025 Ministers have decided the Government will no longer reimburse electoral services staff if a late-notice General Election means they have to cancel holidays. |
Portsmouth expected to reject reorganisation
18/09/2025 Portsmouth City Council is expected to formally reject local government reorganisation at a meeting next week, telling ministers to leave the authority alone. |
EXCLUSIVE: Judicial review threat for food waste laggards
16/09/2025 English councils that fail to offer separate food waste collections to all homes from April could face judicial review, a Whitehall insider has warned. |
Council leader calls for vital funding reforms
15/09/2025 The leader of Barnsley Council has highlighted the urgency of delivering funding reforms to Red Wall areas. |
