London Councils
Challenges for London HR heads
Staff turnover, retention, skill shortages and culture change were among the issues discussed by a recent meeting of London HR heads chaired by The MJ’s Michael Burton who reports on the key conclusions.
Addressing the root causes of knife crime
Urgent action is required to tackle knife crime now, but the current levels of violence are the symptoms of complex and multi-faceted issues that need to be tackled by addressing their root causes, writes John O'Brien.
London boroughs: Our SEND budgets are unsustainable
Gerald Almeroth warns that councils in the capital are facing a growing shortfall in funding for children with special educational needs and disabilities.
Porn this way
Diary wonders what creative juices are in the water at London Councils.
Painting with a new brush
Heather Jameson talks to newly-announced London Councils chair Cllr Peter John about the association’s plans for the future after a significant shake-up of personnel and the need to establish a unified set of priorities for the benefit of all London local authorities.
John picked to head up London Councils
London Councils has elected Southwark LBC leader, Cllr Peter John, as its new chair to replace former incumbent, Cllr Claire Kober.
Business rates pilot payout proves costly to the sector
Local authorities are missing out on millions of pounds because of an £870m cash boost to business rate pilot councils, according to a study today from the respected Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) think-tank.
Devolution warning for boroughs
London boroughs have been warned they have a ‘relatively brief window of opportunity’ to influence health and social care devolution to the capital.
London fraud hub to go live
The London Counter-Fraud Hub is expected to go live in July after the conclusion of a successful pilot, it has been confirmed.
DWP devolves £135m to London
The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) has devolved £135m to local authorities in London to help disabled people back into work.
Rural-London clash over fair funding
London Councils is expected to clash with rural authorities over the upcoming fair funding review.
We must not be passive spectators of Brexit negotiations
The 'B' word will never be far from our lips in 2018. John O'Brien calls on the sector to take these opportunities to shape and influence the future.
EXCLUSIVE: Government knew provisional settlement was wrong
Whitehall officials rushed out the provisional local government finance settlement days before Christmas despite knowing the figures it was based on were wrong, The MJ has learnt.
Kober amendment secures Westminster support
Westminster City Council has insisted it fully supports plans for a London-wide business rates retention pilot, but welcomed the addition of a two-year break clause.
Work with housing associations to build more homes, councils told
Local authorities need to push for partnerships with housing associations in order to tackle the housing crisis, the chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Housing stressed today.
'We're learning from your mistakes', GM tells London
Greater Manchester is learning from the mistakes of the capital, the leader of Trafford MBC has said.
London expecting fiscal devolution announcement 'soon'
A senior London councillor has suggested the city is on the verge of striking a new fiscal devolution deal.
Five ways London boroughs are embracing digital
The London Ventures programme brings the private, public and third sector together to share fresh digital ideas and projects, as Cllr Fiona Colley explains
Looking out for London
Cllr Claire Kober outlines London Councils’ main asks as we hurtle towards the Autumn Budget next week.
Theo Blackwell: We can make London the world's leading smart city
London’s first chief digital officer, Theo Blackwell, sets out how he plans to work with the London boroughs to boost digital leadership, establish digital foundations and act as a digital ambassador.