LGA Conference
Brokenshire's 10 minutes of fame
Newish communities secretary James Brokenshire was treated a bit like a celebrity at his first Local Government Association (LGA) conference.
Brokenshire pushed on Brexit
Local government has presented communities secretary James Brokenshire with a list of Brexit-related issues that need immediate solutions.
Cable: Commercial forays utterly bizarre
The leader of the Lib Dems has said it is ‘utterly bizarre’ that councils are buying up commercial investments miles from their areas.
Forbes calls for new funding approach
Senior vice-chair of the Local Government Association (LGA), Cllr Nick Forbes, has called for a ‘very different approach’ to the way councils are funded.
Sunak unveils digital declaration
The Government has announced a new digital declaration, backed up by £7.5m funding, to help councils transform their online services.
Rayner: Labour would devolve skills
A Labour Government would be committed to devolving responsibility for skills to city regions and counties together with the cash they need, shadow education secretary Angela Rayner has said.
Hawthorne: Local industrial strategies could go same way as devolution
Parts of the country could be left behind when Whitehall rolls out its local industrial strategies, a senior Local Government Association (LGA) figure has warned.
New indemnity mutual: We have learnt from LAML
The advisers behind the Local Government Association’s (LGA) new indemnity mutual insist they have learnt from the sector’s previous forays into insurance.
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’.
Brokenshire dodges funding commitment pledge
Communities secretary James Brokenshire has failed to make a firm commitment to fighting for more funding for councils despite warnings the 'bank of local government is running on empty'.
LGA warns of £7.8bn funding gap
Council services face a £7.8bn funding gap by 2025 - leaving many ‘on the brink of collapse’ ahead of a ‘make or break’ Spending Review - the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.
LGA in social rents plea
Ministers should drop plans to ditch social rents from the official definition of affordable homes while Britain continues to struggle to build new council housing, Smith Square has urged.
Jamieson beats Simmonds to top Tory role
Central Bedfordshire Council leader James Jamieson has been elected the new leader of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) Conservative Group.
LGA to reveal Brexit demands
Pressure is to be piled on the Government to secure the best Brexit deal for councils by the Local Government Association (LGA).
A poncho for fine news
So you thought the blue poncho handed out by the Local Government Association’s Conservative Group at the LGA conference in July was just another useless conference freebie?
Andrew Gwynne: We need a DCLG that will fight for the sector
As the Labour conference gathers in Brighton, Shadow communities secretary Andrew Gwynne talks to Dan Peters about devolution, fiscal change, and his hope to represent the sector in a far more positive light.
EXCLUSIVE: ‘I want to be the best partner for local government’
Heather Jameson talks to communities secretary Sajid Javid about the progress of devolution, future funding, partnership working with the sector and that speech at the LGA conference...
Sector chiefs’ warning of hollowed out Whitehall
Senior sector figures this week called for clarity amid escalating concerns Whitehall is too stretched to tackle critical financial sustainability issues.
Delegates upbeat despite central-local deep freeze
Michael Burton casts a personal view on the major highlights of last week’s LGA conference
Tough talking
Last week’s LGA conference will be remembered in part for an extraordinary speech from Sajid Javid heavily criticising the sector – Heather Jameson looks at the fallout from the communities secretary’s address