Fiscal Freedom
Localis hired for fiscal devolution study
The Local Government Association has commissioned research to better understand how greater control of financial and fiscal levers might operate in non-metropolitan areas.
This will be a different Conservative Government
Head of local government at Grant Thornton UK, Paul Dossett, says the fact that the Conservative majority has been won by gaining seats in towns in Wales, the Midlands and the north of England will make a difference.
Lib Dems to 'end continual erosion' of council funding
Lib Dems would ‘end the continual erosion’ of local government funding if they win power at the General Election, the party’s manifesto has pledged.
Five councils suffer credit outlook ratings downgrade
The credit outlook ratings for five local authorities have been changed from stable to negative.
Let’s back the tourist tax
Cllr Nickie Aiken argues that a modest levy on overnight visitor stays raised locally would go straight into services that help to boost tourism.
It’s a fiscal drag
If we are ever going to unlock the benefits and freedoms that fiscal devolution could engender in localities, we have to set out what the political problem is, writes Jonathan Werran.
COSLA conference: Ex-minister hints at council tax cap relaxation
A former SNP minister has suggested there could be a relaxation of the cap on council tax.
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.
COSLA conference: 'Devolved powers have stopped at Holyrood'
It is a ‘sad paradox’ of devolution that powers handed to Scotland 20 years ago have stopped at Holyrood, the president of the Convention of Scottish Local Authorities (COSLA) has said.
Think-tank calls for more local taxes
There appear to be ‘few’ legislative barriers to bringing in new local taxes as long as the money raised went towards local authority expenditure, think-tank IPPR Scotland has said.
Edinburgh welcomes tourism tax plan
SNP-controlled Edinburgh City Council has welcomed the inclusion of a Transient Visitor Levy Bill in the Scottish Government’s programme for Scotland.
Tourism levy meeting call
Core Cities has called for a meeting with new culture secretary Nicky Morgan and her ministers to discuss the idea of a hotel room levy.
Let’s talk about tax
Colin Copus and Steve Leach ask how we should approach the problem of how to finance English local government and examine how comparable nations use their local taxation powers
Calls for new PM to make council funding 'immediate domestic priority'
Calls have been made for the next Prime Minister to make council funding his 'immediate domestic priority' after Boris Johnson won the Conservative Party leadership contest.
Emergency settlement call as councils face financial cliff-edge
Calls have been made by a think-tank for a one-year emergency local government settlement with councils facing a ‘financial cliff-edge’.
Council tax system needs 'fundamental reform'
The council tax system is ‘highly regressive and unsustainable,’ and needs ‘fundamental reform,’ progressive think-tank IPPR has argued.
Cut business rates, claims Treasury's Truss
Business rates should be cut to support the private sector, chief secretary to the Treasury, Liz Truss, told a Smith Square debate last night.
Doubts over new taxes to fund Commonwealth Games
New forms of tax are unlikely to fill a £40m hole in funding for the Commonwealth Games budget, councillors in Birmingham have been told.
Local income tax best bet for fiscal devo - IFS
Local income tax would be the best option for fiscal devolution if the Government wanted to hand more powers to local authorities, the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) argued today.
A taxing problem
Heather Jameson looks at the latest report from the IFS’s Local Government Finance Commission, which suggests a local income tax would be the best option for fiscal devolution.