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.
Another multi-million pound loss for Cambridgeshire CC-owned company
28/08/2026 A council-owned development company that borrowed £120m from its parent local authority has posted another multi-million pound loss. |
Dudley heavily criticised by Ofsted
25/08/2026 Children's services provided by Dudley MBC have been heavily criticised by Ofsted. |
Women bear full force of rise in abuse by councillors
29/07/2026 A growing number of council chiefs are reporting abuse and inappropriate behaviour by councillors to their trade union, with women bearing the brunt. |
Burnham promises to empower councils as Rayner returns to replace Reed
20/07/2026 Andy Burnham has promised to give councils more powers to tackle problems such as rough sleeping and social care while moving decision-making from Whitehall. |
Suffolk CC to push on with LGR legal challenge
30/06/2026 Suffolk CC is pursuing its legal challenge to local government reorganisation (LGR) following revelations Steve Reed defied civil service advice. |
Call for fiscal devolution to be based on clear criteria
09/06/2026 Fiscal devolution must be based around local taxes or revenue rather than the existing grant system, a report has urged. |
Union raises alarm over bullying and harassment
08/06/2026 Social workers are raising the alarm over bullying or harassment at the same time as struggling with funding shortages. |
Chiefs take charge
04/06/2026 Uncertainty at several local authorities as recent elections leave chief executives presiding over a changing political landscape. |
Reform UK councillors back down in row over airport loan
11/05/2026 Doncaster City Council is to borrow £57m to help reopen its airport after Reform UK councillors backed down from a direct confrontation with its leadership. |
Mayor steps into chief executive row with Reform UK councillors
06/05/2026 Doncaster's Labour mayor has stepped into the row between chief executive Damian Allen and Reform UK councillors by backing her chief executive officer. |
Homeless handed rising proportion of social housing
14/04/2026 The proportion of social housing being allocated to homeless people has risen, according to data collated by the Chartered Institute of Housing (CIH). |
LGPS performing well, pension advisers say
07/04/2026 The Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) is performing well and managing risk responsibly during a time of economic uncertainty, according to pension advisers Hymans Robertson. |
Further devolution plans unveiled
01/04/2026 Council leaders in the Midlands and West of England have begun responding to a call from ministers to reveal their devolution plans. |
Report finds 'optimism bias' in council projections
30/03/2026 Brighton and Hove city councillors were guilty of ‘optimism bias’ in forecasting the popularity of the i360 seafront tower, a report has found. |
Leaders united on devo despite reorg rivalry
12/03/2026 Council leaders in Hertfordshire have insisted they remain united over devolution despite presenting the Government with a range of reorganisation options. |
'Widespread lack of understanding' to blame for key worker oversight
03/03/2026 Failure to recognise council employees as key workers during the pandemic must be reviewed as part of planning for future emergencies, Covid inquiry told. |
Government rejects food waste transparency call
03/02/2026 The Government has rebuffed calls for transparency around funding for food waste collections, insisting it is not in the ‘public interest'. |
Report calls for slashing of London boroughs
03/02/2026 London boroughs should merge so the number of local authorities in the capital is reduced by about two-thirds, a report claimed today. |
National conversation on neighbourhoods needed
20/01/2026 A senior Local Government Association (LGA) figure has called for a national conversation over the role of councils in improving neighbourhoods. |
DCN name change pressure
13/01/2026 The District Councils’ Network (DCN) is coming under increasing internal pressure to move quickly to change its name to secure the future relevance of the organisation. |
