Investment
Transparency tools made available to pension schemes
The first standalone system to provide information on costs from different investment managers has been made available to every local government pension scheme (LGPS) and pool.
Budget 2020: Putting the numbers in perspective
By recent standards the Chancellor’s Budget jokes were pretty good, says Charlotte Alldritt of the Centre for Progressive Policy. But it is time to get serious, if the government is going to deliver on its levelling up agenda.
Budget 2020: Public Works Loan Board consultation is welcome
The Chancellor’s announcement of a consultation on revising the terms of borrowing from the Public Works Loan Board is welcome, says Rob Whiteman - but the Chancellor’s fiscal announcements 'didn’t match what we in the sector had hoped for'.
New sustainable fund for pension pool
The London collective investment vehicle (LCIV) has launched a new fund that offers pool members the opportunity to exclude investments in fossil fuels, tobacco and weapons.
Budget 2020: New West Yorkshire mayor announced
A new directly-elected West Yorkshire mayor has been announced with the Government signing a new £1.8bn devolution deal amid plans to ‘level up’ the UK economy.
Westminster’s vision for the 2020s
Rachael Robathan outlines Westminster City Council’s vision for the City, with climate and environmental initiatives, digital communications and infrastructure at its core.
Go big or go home
Chair of the UK2070 Commission into spatial inequalities Lord Bob Kerslake says everyone will lose if we fail to tackle the widening productivity and wealth gap.
Infrastructure means more than counting cranes
Local government and wider public services have a challenge, says Graeme McDonald. How do we ensure investment in immediate preventative activities is able to compete for finite resources with investment in tangible 'bricks and mortar' projects?
EXCLUSIVE: Council rejects budget control review
Warrington Council has rejected a number of findings from an independent review of its approach to budgetary control.
Let councils invest or pay up with funding
Tighter controls on local government's investments may be on the way – but central Government will have to make a decision: fund councils or let them fund themselves, says Heather Jameson.
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.
South-east in plea for funding ‘fairness’
Deprived areas in the south-east require investment as much as northern England, the chairman of Greater Brighton City Region has argued.
Build on the social aspect of towns
Much of the discussion about ‘levelling up’ towns has been about physical infrastructure, but as Dan Corry explains, the lesson of the past is that the social side must be taken into account.
New pension fund to invest in London
Three major London pensions organisations will launch a fund investing in housing, infrastructure and business in the capital.
Pension partnership in asset manager threat
The £30bn Brunel Pension Partnership has launched a combative new climate policy that threatens to exclude asset managers if they fail to raise their game.
Learning from two different governance systems
With elections looming in 2020, it is a topical moment to think about what we can learn from the combined authority structures and from London's governance system, says John O'Brien. What works best?
Let's put investment into our school buildings
Schools capital allocations have been skewed by political priorities, says Gary Fielding As a result, North Yorkshire CC 'find ourselves with swathes of the country having insufficient places to meet demand and/or poor building conditions'.
A landmark year for Waltham Forest
In 2019 Waltham Forest LBC became the first Mayor of London Borough of Culture - and won The MJ’s Local Authority of the Year category in the annual awards. Cllr Clare Coghill and Martin Esom talk to Michael Burton about the council's achievement.
Building thriving towns
Adur DC and Worthing BC are taking a stake in their local economies to catalyse investment in their places, based on establishing firm foundations to help local communities thrive, writes Martin Randall.
2020: Time for a new era in local and central government collaboration
Chair of Key Cities Cllr John Merry welcomes both devolution and the Government’s stated ambition to prioritise investment in infrastructure ‘as this is something that our regions are crying out for especially beyond London and the Home Counties’.