Spending Review
Future Forum: ‘Hope’ for council tax overhaul
Labour could be presented with an opportunity to reform council tax if election polls are borne out, The MJ’s Future Forum has heard.
Budget: Trailblazer devo deal for North East
The North East has secured a trailblazer devolution deal that could provide a package of new funding potentially worth more than £100m, chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced in his Budget.
What the Budget will mean for councils
David Phillips says a focus on tax cuts in the upcoming Budget does not mean councils will go completely unmentioned – but what happens in the next Spending Review will be more important.
A new Government provides the opportunity for long-term reform
The SEN system and the broken children’s social care residential market are the main drivers of cost for councils, and CCN will be proactively setting out its own case for reform of both as we gear up for a new Government, says Simon Edwards.
Public services out in the cold
There was little joy for under-pressure public sector budgets including local government from last week’s Autumn Statement as Michael Burton reports.
Time to unleash the potential of local authorities on net zero
If Westminster will not provide national leadership on net zero, it should empower ambitious local authorities to forge ahead, says Chris Skidmore MP.
The inflation situation
Inflationary pressures are taking their toll on councils’ services and balance sheets, with further dangers on the horizon. Ann McGauran reports.
Budget 2023: Hunt to boost mayors' financial autonomy
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt has announced the Government will ‘boost mayors’ financial autonomy’ in his Budget.
Food waste delay 'nailed down'
Government proposals for every household to receive separate weekly food waste collections from this year will be delayed by two years, key Whitehall officials have admitted.
Mission Zero is good news for local government
The Mission Zero review marks a significant shift from government Net Zero approaches that have side-lined or otherwise left local leaders feeling overlooked, says Jason Torrance.
Autumn Statement: The coming years will be extraordinarily difficult
The chancellor hopes for growth by balancing tax rises and spending restraint, but the statement does little to address the serious underlying economic issues, says Rob Whiteman.
Autumn Statement: Jam today, gruel tomorrow
In last week’s Autumn Statement chancellor Jeremy Hunt has pushed public spending cuts beyond the next general election in the hope a stronger economy will make them unnecessary, reports Michael Burton.
Fairness failure
Looming spending cuts make ‘fair funding’ more important – but also much more challenging, says David Phillips.
No way to run a whelk stall
No one said managing the public finances entails easy choices, but the new Government just made it a whole lot harder for itself, says Michael Burton.
More than 100,000 public sector jobs could be lost
More than 100,000 public sector jobs could be lost over the next year as employers struggle to find the money for pay rises, according to research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) think-tank.
Minister warns of 'consequences' for mismanagement
Levelling up secretary Simon Clarke has warned of ‘consequences’ for councils that are unable to balance their books.
Councils braced for fresh cuts
Councils are bracing themselves for a raft of cuts as embattled Prime Minister Liz Truss this week refused to rule out a return to austerity.
Keeping up with the crisis
Local communities are facing unprecedented cost of living pressures. Ann McGauran looks at how councils have responded and asks if they can keep on delivering support to residents through a challenging winter.
Councils need financial support to help residents and businesses through crisis
The County Councils Network, alongside others, will be making the strongest case possible to ensure that local government is adequately funded through what is going to be an extremely difficult period, says James Maker.
NAO keeping 'watching brief' on revisiting financial sustainability
Accelerating inflation is placing pressure on the National Audit Office (NAO) to take a fresh look at the financial sustainability of the sector.
