Local Government Association
£5.2bn and counting
The Local Government Association (LGA) will argue the sector faces a £5.2bn funding gap in 2020/21 despite believing the figure is an underestimate, The MJ understands.
Jenrick to check councils' borrowing bids
New local government secretary Robert Jenrick will take a fresh look at councils excessively borrowing for commercial reasons, The MJ understands.
MHCLG security review after knife attack
Security will be reviewed across the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) estate after one of the department’s officials suffered a knife attack.
Councils face more funding uncertainty
‘Indicative numbers’ for the amount councils will receive in 2020/21 will not be published before next month’s Spending Review, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has admitted after it missed a self-imposed deadline.
Funeral review could lead to new burdens
A review of funeral services could lead to a ratings system for the industry and hand responsibility for poor practice to local government.
Council chiefs' pay trails university bosses - research
Salaries for council chief executives are substantially lower than for university vice-chancellors, new Local Government Association (LGA) research has revealed.
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.
Council to change finance approach after review
Warrington BC has ‘consistently overspent’ against parts of its budget and needs to change its approach to deliver services ‘from a more sustainable financial footing’.
EXCLUSIVE: Charity Commission to intervene in £2.4bn rates dispute
Charity Commission experts will be called on to help the High Court settle the long-running legal dispute between councils and NHS trusts over rates relief.
Report discovers little assurance on council-owned company governance
A Hertsmere BC audit report has only given ‘limited assurance’ that its governance of council-owned companies is effectively controlled.
Children's services, adult social care top list of complaints
Most complaints about councils received by the Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman (LGO) in 2018/19 concerned education, children’s services and adult social care.
Winning approach to summer learning loss
Michael Barrett outlines how Kent CC’s Rob Comber (above) faced off nine other candidates in the 10th year of the LG Challenge to become the overall winner – with a summer programme proposal to tackle the educational impact of child poverty
LGA: Audit deadline should be pushed back
The July audit deadline should be pushed back to September 30 for future years, the Local Government Association (LGA) has told ministers.
'Mean, nasty, brutish and short'
A recent reunion of the original cast of the late Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA) has led Paul Wheeler to ponder the 'barriers and pitfalls that have been erected in the path of future progress'.
New shared leadership team for council pair
Two councils that recently reinstated the position of joint chief executive have laid out plans to appoint a new shared leadership team.
Barnsley 'high performing' despite austerity
Barnsley MBC is ‘high performing’ despite its long battle with austerity, a peer review by the Local Government Association (LGA) has found.
Heseltine in call for new department for the regions
A new department for the regions should be established, former deputy Prime Minister Lord Heseltine has argued.
‘Extraordinary pressures’ call for extraordinary resilience
Penna’s latest annual survey of chief executives, in partnership with The MJ, highlights their latest perspectives and organisational priorities. Ann McGauran looks at the results.
Planning amid the certainty of uncertainty
John Hewitt says finance directors and their teams have been working ‘minor miracles’ in signing off balanced budgets for the last 10 years. He outlines a number of steps Government could take to help local authorities plan more effectively.
We cannot afford to take no for an answer
Louise Round says Tandridge DC was not 'one of the lucky 50' to get through to the second round of the Future High Streets funding round. She hopes Government will not make the second stage disproportionately difficult for councils to take part in.