Budget
Councils may have to hand back grant
Some of the extra £55m Disabled Facilities Grant (DFG) announced by the chancellor in the Budget may have to be handed back by councils.
Future Forum North: 'Government still doesn't think sector is efficient'
Whitehall remains unconvinced that local government is as efficient as it can be, Smith Square’s deputy chief executive, Sarah Pickup, has said.
What should councils do?
Tough decisions will have to be made on budgets in town halls across the country, says Dan Corry – but his plea is to try to focus on providing the right culture for the longer-term.
Let's have fiscal levers for local areas
The Government should take steps to enable local areas to fund services through various fiscal levers and such flexibilities would not cost it a penny in extra grant, says Ian Miller.
Call for public expenditure presentation overhaul
Next year’s Spending Review should overhaul the presentation of public expenditure within the Government’s fiscal documents to bring it line with other countries, a new report has urged.
Crunching those numbers in super-quick time
The skill finance teams need in their DNA is 'to be able to do that quick and dirty analysis almost immediately', says Adele Taylor.
Brokenshire: 2019 will be turning point for local government
Next year will be a ‘turning point’ for local government, communities secretary James Brokenshire has told the County Councils’ Network conference, with the Spending Review and changes to the finance regime.
Brokenshire: We need to raise our game and get London building
Housing secretary James Brokenshire has criticised London boroughs after statistics showed a ‘mixed picture’ across the capital in the number of additional homes in 2017/18.
Seeing glimpses of the future through the smoke
No matter how good the social care Green Paper proves to be, it won't solve all the sector's challenges - and solutions must be rooted in local communities, says chair of the Social Care Institute for Excellence, Paul Burstow.
The dangerous business of column writing
As we begin to unpick our way through the chancellor’s Budget, it can be difficult – even for professionals – to really understand what is going on, writes John Betts
Districts' crucial role in the prevention agenda
Sandra Dineen believes the district council’s contribution is key to the success of the prevention agenda - 'particularly in ensuring our residents have the right homes, suited to their needs and have access to our services at the earliest possible stage'.
Let's have less flash and more substance
What the public and local government want is less flash and more substance - fewer grand statements and some real investment instead, says Claire Kober
Are public sector managers paying too much tax?
The public sector has traditionally backed Labour because of its commitment to funding public services. writes Michael Burton - but is this being tested because a growing number of its managers are in the same 40% tax bracket as those on £145k?
MPs to investigate children’s services
MPs have launched an inquiry into the funding of children’s services amid a row over chancellor Philip Hammond’s pledge of more money in the Budget.
EXCLUSIVE: Streeting calls for new Parliamentary campaign
Local Government Association vice-president Wes Streeting has called for a cross-party coalition of MPs to campaign for a major and urgent increase in council funding.
COSLA calls for more cash from Scottish Government
Councils in Scotland have called for a 2.5% increase in funding.
SENDing a message to government
With two councils awaiting the outcomes of judicial reviews into their plans to cut back spending on SEND services and a possible legal challenge for central government, Ann McGauran asks if more cash will be found to deal with 'a sense of crisis'
Councils plan reserves increase post-Budget
Prudent councils are shoring up their reserves in an effort to protect future finances, figures released as part of the Budget have revealed.
With no long term solutions, the Budget is more trickery than treats
Rather than offering the long-term funding needed by public services, the chancellor dressed up short term cash splurges as the easing of austerity, says Rob Whiteman
Balanced Budget as we live in hope for jam tomorrow
It may have been billed as the Budget to end austerity, but the chancellor’s speech was not exactly jam today, says Heather Jameson. More like a thin spread of cheap margarine for now, with the hope of a good strawberry crop in the spring