Councillors
Finance warning despite record savings
Surrey CC’s longer-term financial resilience is a ‘serious challenge’ despite the authority achieving a record £79m savings in 2017/18, senior councillors have been warned.
LGA strikes £20m improvement deal
Whitehall is looking to strengthen the sector-led improvement regime in its latest £20m deal with the Local Government Association (LGA), The MJ understands.
Top team support demand rising
Demand for top team support has been increasing and is expected to rise further after next month’s local government elections, The MJ has learned.
Support for independent Telford inquiry grows
Telford & Wrekin Council is poised to approve an independent inquiry into child sexual abuse in the area after the two main political parties backed a fresh proposal.
Making peace
While Lib Dem and Labour politicos don’t always see eye-to-eye, the parties’ spokespeople on local government have found common ground.
Fitzgerald poised to leave Liverpool
Former Bradford City Council chief executive, Tony Reeves, has signed a three-month deal to provide further consultancy services to Liverpool City Council amid speculation that the Merseyside authority could part company with suspended boss Ged Fitzgerald.
Council to consider whether to axe chief executive role
Derbyshire Dales DC will next week consider whether to axe the role of chief executive or share the position with another organisation.
New guide to improve member-officer relations
Cheshire East Council has responded to concerns about member-officer relations by producing a new guide outlining the roles and responsibilities of both groups.
Civic leadership has become undervalued and unappreciated
Lawrence Conway on why he believes civic leadership is key at every level.
Councils told to be on guard post-Salisbury
Council bosses have been warned to weigh-up risks of fresh attacks from ‘hostile states’ following the Salisbury poisonings.
Council company to take over children's services
Senior Worcestershire CC councillors are next week expected to approve the development of a wholly-owned council company to deliver children’s services.
Minister ducks new formula guarantee
A minister has refused to guarantee no council will receive less money under the new funding formula as local authority finance dominated prime minister’s questions (PMQ).
Council rejects strong leader model suggestion
Knowsley MBC councillors have ‘little appetite’ to change the authority’s governance arrangements despite Local Government Association peers urging them to consider a strong leader model.
Chief to retire after 40-year local government career
Swindon BC’s chief executive, John Gilbert, has announced his retirement after working in local government for 40 years.
Government in 'live debate' on care funding
A ‘live debate’ over the funding of adult social care is taking place in Government, minister Caroline Dinenage has insisted.
LGA: Extra money crucial to fair funding review
The fair funding review will fail without extra money for the sector, Smith Square is expected to warn the Government.
Union warning over Northamptonshire pay freeze
Trade unions and opposition councillors this week criticised Northamptonshire CC’s decision to freeze staff pay – warning it will exacerbate existing recruitment and retention problems.
LGA: Officer-councillor relationships tend to be good
Relationships between officers and councillors tend to be good, Local Government Association (LGA) peer reviewers have found.
Borderline ridiculous
Diary hears reports that Westminster and Camden LBCs have denied a secret agreement to blockade border roads to make them impassable to Boris Johnson.
Council scraps chief's role as part of transformation
Shepway DC is scrapping the role of chief executive as part of a transformation project that aims to streamline and reshape the council.