Budget
Ministers urged to embrace ambitious devolution agenda
The UK’s biggest cities have urged ministers to embrace an ambitious devolution agenda and not ‘merely level up’ powers across the country.
Treasury could rake in £80m from PWLB rate hike - LGA
The Treasury could benefit from an £80m windfall from controversially increasing the Public Works Loan Board (PWLB) interest rate by 1%, the Local Government Association (LGA) has said.
The chancellor should tackle low care sector pay in the Budget
If the chancellor does not allocate more funding for care training and pay in the Budget the sector will continue to be understaffed and the new post-2021 immigration system will still need to supply it with low paid labour, says Michael Burton.
‘Stop kicking us three steps back’
Our annual local government finance survey shows most councils are planning to raise council tax – and reveals support for fiscal devolution is by no means universal. Dan Peters reports.
EXCLUSIVE: Government prepares for new rate reliefs
The Government has started to prepare the ground for the introduction of new business rate reliefs after its previous efforts were labelled a ‘shambles’.
March 11 Budget creates 'deep risk' for councils
The Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) has written to the Chancellor warning of the ‘deep risk facing councils’ from delaying the Budget until March 11.
Councils still being held back from building more homes - report
Local authorities are still being held back from providing more homes, a new report examining the future for council housing has argued.
EXCLUSIVE: Fears over 'watered down' committee replacement
Fears have been raised that the UK will be landed with a ‘watered-down replacement’ for the EU Committee of the Regions after Brexit.
Public spending still lower than pre-recession, says IFS
Planned hikes in public spending would still leave spending in 2020-21 3% lower than it was in 2010-11, according to the Institute for Fiscal Studies.
Get rid of 'delays, deadlock and paralysis'
Continuing to stumble through this 'political Groundhog Day' has real consequences for the services that affect real people every day, says Rob Whiteman - and it’s well past time their needs came to the top of the political agenda.
Chancellor urged to scrap inflationary business rates rise
The chancellor has been urged to scrap an increase in business rates in the Autumn Budget, following warnings it will add more than £536m to the business rates burden.
COSLA conference: Sturgeon promises 'biggest decentralisation of power' in two decades
The results of the Scottish Government’s local governance review will bring the ‘biggest decentralisation of power’ in the 20 years since devolution, first minister Nicola Sturgeon has promised.
What might have been without the recession and Brexit
Michael Burton says the worry as the next Spending Review gets under way is that a bad or no-deal Brexit leads to another lost decade of growth and more cuts, which this time a pruned public sector is unable to withstand.
Brexit casts its shadow over budgets
This week’s Green Budget by the Institute for Fiscal Studies warns that the increases in the Spending Round still need to be funded, by tax rises or more borrowing, while a bad Brexit deal will jeopardise the public finances. Michael Burton reports.
Breathing space for next Chancellor
The public finances continue to be robust, offering the next Chancellor scope for tax cuts or spending increases in the Budget though total debt continues to rise.
Porter in top up cash call
Councils will need a cash top up if the political turmoil forces the new Prime Minister to delay plans for a three-year Spending Review, Local Government Association (LGA) chairman Lord Porter has warned.
EXCLUSIVE: MHCLG to make 'compelling case' for more funding
Local government minister Rishi Sunak has vowed that his department will ‘make a compelling case’ for more funding ahead of this year’s Spending Review.
Northamptonshire budget process a ‘rollercoaster’
The chief executive of Northamptonshire CC said the council’s budget was prepared with the speed of a rollercoaster.
Ministers accused of 'irrational policy-making'
Ministers have been accused of irrational policy-making by funding prevention in the NHS while forcing councils to focus on acute statutory services.
Scottish budget defeat looms
The Scottish National Party is facing defeat over its budget this week after a row over local government funding.