News
Healey disputes Javid's no funding request claim
Shadow housing secretary John Healey has disputed the claim made by communities secretary Sajid Javid that not a single council has asked his department to fund fire safety work.
Call for Universal Credit transition funding
The Government should create a transition funding pot to help councils manage the rollout of Universal Credit and support vulnerable tenants, the chief executive of the Association of Retained Council Housing (ARCH) has urged.
Temporary accommodation crisis places fresh pressure on budgets
Councils are housing an extra secondary school’s worth of homeless children each month, placing fresh pressure on budgets for temporary accommodation, new research has found.
Government confirms talks over second West Midlands devolution deal
Business secretary Greg Clark has suggested the West Midlands Combined Authority (WMCA) is on the brink of striking a second devolution deal with the Government.
Parker to take on Jersey role
Westminster chief executive Charlie Parker has been announced as the new chief of the States of Jersey.
Rates relief row heats up
The row over the slow distribution of business rates relief intensified this week, when London Councils revealed ministers were warned about problems with town hall software before Whitehall’s last-minute support package.
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Opinion
PODCAST: People, passion and progress
In the latest Public Intelligence/The MJ leadership podcast Baroness Scott explains how Wiltshire CC has moved from an old-fashioned ethos to a modern business. Heather Jameson reports.
Putting people first
Both national and local government must seize opportunities to build new partnerships that tackle social challenges in a way that works for everyone by putting people first, writes Steve Reed.
Where are district councils left under a minority Government?
Ian Miller demands early clarity on local government finance reform.
Markets can be fickle beasts. How can councils mitigate risk?
The jury is still out on whether councils are as good as they need to be for their latest commercialisation initiatives, writes Malcolm Morley.
Sustainability, collaboration and digital
On becoming CIPFA president, Andrew Burns says he will concentrate on financial sustainability, tighter collaboration between public services and the role of digital developments and automation.
Should we be Keynesian about spending to offset Brexit?
If austerity as a name is history, if only for political reasons, then its successor, scarcity, is little better, writes Michael Burton.
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Best Practice
Kingston leads a new chapter for libraries
Joanne Moulton shares her experience of transforming libraries and preparing the service for a smarter future.
Analysis
A poor balancing act
Heather Jameson looks at a new report highlighting a worrying continuation of the gender imbalance in local government.
Private sector
Sharing innovation will see us through the next wave of transformation
The sector must ensure that it creates and maintains platforms for sharing going forward, otherwise transformation will cost more and be less certain, writes Andrew Larner.
Striking the right balance
Improving a work-life balance is not only better for the general health of your employees but it benefits the business too, writes Simon Lee.
Regardless of leadership style, being human is essential
Following the leadership response to the Grenfell tragedy, Julie Towers says the human touch is an underestimated trait and yet is the most powerful.