CIPFA
Merseyside combined authority announces first precept
The Liverpool city region combined authority is to levy a council tax precept for the first time.
NAO calls for 'stronger leadership' from MHCLG
The Government must improve oversight and transparency over local authorities to ensure their financial sustainability, the National Audit Office (NAO) has said.
Ministers play down commercialisation 'crackdown'
Ministers have played down the prospect of a widespread crackdown on councils that borrow for commercial reasons.
Is Government penny wise, pound foolish?
As councils turn more towards commercialism, now is the right time to consider if the public audit model is fit for purpose, Rob Whiteman believes
Cracking the code
The complexity of the budgetary challenges faced by English councils has raised the alarm within the sector about its ability to resist future financial shocks. Will CIPFA's new resilience index help? Ann McGauran reports
CIPFA expands focus to councillors
The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) is to broaden its support to councillors as the focus on financial risks heightens.
One in six councils face financial stability risk
Four councils are spending more than 90% of their net revenue expenditure on social care and interest payments, the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) has revealed.
Finance settlement: Government floats commercialisation crackdown
Whitehall is considering a crackdown on councils that excessively borrow for commercial reasons as it continues to restrict council tax rises.
Future Forum North: Whiteman rages at removing finance directors from top team
Council chief executives that demote the finance director role from the top team were being ‘too clever by half,’ Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy boss Rob Whiteman has said.
An independent view of finances is crucial
With the final settlement, budget-setting and the Spending Review all on the horizon, an independent view of finances is crucial, according to Heather Jameson.
CIPFA caves in to pressure on traffic light index
Controversial plans to rate councils’ financial sustainability using traffic lights have been watered down by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).
Helping take the risk out of ventures
The simple principles of planning, appraising and scrutinising investments in new ventures are easy to state and difficult to do, says chief executive of Local Partnerships Sean Hanson.
CIPFA probe prompts review of finance in London Borough
Newham LBC is to improve its financial management and capital expenditure processes, after a report by public finance experts CIPFA revealed weaknesses in its financial control.
Commercial property: Taxpayers are being sold short
The economic rationale for the ‘commercial councils’ agenda is filling the austerity hole in their budgets with income streams from financial assets, says Joel Benjamin - but are the assets sound investments made in the public interest?
Don’t risk your foundations
As investment by local authorities in land and buildings this year hits the ‘record breaking’ level of £4bn, Don Peebles warns them not to become too dependent on commercial income
Burns faces possible redundancy
The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy’s immediate past president, Andy Burns, is facing possible redundancy from his day job.
Hodge set to step down from Surrey
Surrey CC leader Cllr David Hodge will announce his departure from the crisis hit authority at a full council meeting tomorrow.
New ethics guidance for under-pressure officers
The organisation representing council finance officers has updated its ethics guidance as the pressure grows on public sector accountants.
Council hits back at 'illegitimate' claim
Newham LBC has denied claims that decisions to enter into controversial high-interest loans were illegitimate.
Lessons from ‘failure’
In the context of Northamptonshire’s failure and warnings of other councils on the edge of collapse, Ed Hammond argues local approaches are likely to work better than the formal intervention regime