CIPFA
A fork in the road to austerity
Could CIPFA’s plans to create a financial resilience index for councils help rescue local government from further catastrophe? Nathan Elvery explains why he thinks a ‘traffic light’ rating could be heading down the wrong road.
Sunak questions outsourcing model
Conservative local government minister Rishi Sunak has questioned the current model of outsourcing in the wake of Carillion’s collapse.
County chiefs show red to traffic light ratings
County council chief executives have broken cover to warn that plans for a traffic light-style financial resilience rating system ‘risk over-simplifying complex issues’.
Government should have 'performance tracker'
Government should have a ‘performance tracker’ to check the impact of its spending decisions, Institute for Government associate director, Dr Emily Andrews, has said.
Page: Northamptonshire is wake up call
Public services are lacking the insight offered by the Audit Commission when it comes to an early warning over financial problems, pollster Ben Page has said.
CIPFA president warns of trust breakdown
There has been a ‘universal breakdown in trust’ in public services, the incoming president of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA), Sarah Howard, has claimed.
Brexit has caused slowdown - economists
Economists who are both pro and anti-Brexit agree the referendum vote has caused a slowdown in the economy, the Institute for Government’s Gemma Tetlow has said.
Caught in the traffic lights
As CIPFA members gather in Bournemouth for its annual conference, much attention will be paid to its proposals for a ‘resilience index’. Rob Whiteman explains to Heather Jameson why the system of self-regulation needs to change.
Whiteman defends 'traffic light' index
The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy’s (CIPFA) chief executive has defended the organisation’s traffic light-style financial resilience index.
NAO to reinforce external auditing
The National Audit Office (NAO) is to reinforce the importance of external auditor reporting after warnings were raised but ignored by Northamptonshire CC.
Whiteman warning as councils face ‘cliff edge’
Finance directors have been urged to make ‘timely use’ of Section 114 notices to stabilise councils before they ‘go over the cliff edge’.
The truth about accountability, transparency and f iscal health
Heather Jameson says that just because there is local democracy, it doesn’t mean councils don’t have to be transparent and accountable.
Public sector 'in dark' over Brexit plans
Three quarters of public sector leaders feel they are kept ‘in the dark’ over Brexit by the Government.
Traffic light ratings 'could destabilise' councils
Districts have warned that ‘naming and shaming’ councils in a vulnerable financial situation using a traffic light rating system would be a ‘blunt instrument’.
Morse to maintain audit standards
National Audit Office chief Sir Amyas Morse has insisted he will not lower the standards expected from local auditors despite market concentration and plummeting fees.
EXCLUSIVE: Councils could face ‘traffic light’ grading on finances
Every council could be publicly graded red, amber or green for financial resilience under plans by finance chiefs to avoid another financial collapse, The MJ has learnt.
Financial instability is unacceptable, but what can be done?
Carol Culley and Margaret Lee discuss how two major pieces of work by CIPFA can help to strengthen the resilience of the sector.
Rising social care costs spell doom for services
Council spending on adult social care is squeezing cash out of other services, fresh analysis from the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has shown.
CIPFA hits back at Tesco rates attack
Finance directors have hit back at criticisms made by big companies that business rates are causing the collapse of retailers on the high street.
Achieving financial resilience and sustainability
Andrew Burns outlines three key lessons that need to be learned if local government is to ensure medium-term financial sustainability.