Policy
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: '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.
Patel pledges £20m to 'roll up' County Lines
The home secretary’s announcement of a £20m package to tackle County Lines drugs gangs has received a mixed reaction.
Javid promises devo White Paper
A new White Paper to devolve more powers to local areas was announced in the Chancellor’s speech to the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester today.
EXCLUSIVE: Core Cities' £28bn Shared Prosperity Fund warning
The proposed UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) must be worth at least £28bn over seven years if the UK is to deliver its devolved policy objectives, a leading sector body has warned.
Labour vows to make adult's social care free
Labour’s shadow chancellor, John McDonnell, has announced he will fund ‘personal care free at the point of use’ across England if the party wins the next general election.
Brexit guidance 'inadequate'
Guidance provided by the Government in relation to the potential impact of a no-deal Brexit on children’s services and education is ‘inadequate,’ a think-tank has claimed.
DfE defends value of key working group
The Department for Education (DfE) has insisted it values a key service working group despite it not routinely reporting back to ministers.
EXCLUSIVE: Fresh demand for place-based budgets
A fresh demand for place-based budgets has been made by the co-chair of an independent panel that first made the call five years ago.
Crime-fighting funds in scarce supply - survey
Three out of four UK council chief executives and leaders do not have access to enough funding to tackle rising levels of violent youth crime, a survey has found.
EXCLUSIVE: Brexit blow as councils miss MHCLG deadline
Local government secretary Robert Jenrick’s flagship Brexit policy has been dealt a blow after dozens of councils missed the deadline for nominating a lead officer.
LEP chairs still waiting for PM meeting
An overdue Prime Minister’s meeting of local enterprise partnership (LEP) chairs has not been scheduled, with Number 10 yet to commit to continuing the twice-yearly gatherings.
CIPFA index 'must be forward-looking'
The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) must double down on efforts to include indicators that are forward-looking in its financial resilience index, a senior sector figure has suggested.
EXCLUSIVE: Two LEPs still do not have legal personality
Two local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) have been granted extensions due to ‘exceptional circumstances’ after failing to adopt legal personalities before the April deadline, The MJ has learnt.
Be bold with Boris
As a former mayor of London, Boris Johnson understands devolution. Bob Neill urges the sector not to waste the opportunity of a local government-savvy Prime Minister
Jenrick excluded from daily Brexit committee
Concerns have been raised about Marsham Street’s influence on Brexit matters in Whitehall.
Call for leaders to be given seat at top table
A council of UK civic leaders chaired by the Prime Minister and mayors on the Privy Council are among the calls from a think-tank.
Chiefs criticised over lack of leadership on abuse
Chief executives of Nottinghamshire CC and Nottingham City Council over several decades have been criticised after failing to prevent ‘widespread’ child sexual abuse.
Independent governance reviews for pension schemes
Regular independent reviews of governance in the local government pension scheme (LGPS) will be carried out to assess the effectiveness of administering authorities’ arrangements.
It’s up to councils to decide how they run their services
The old arguements about in-house or outsourced services have been reawakened by Labour's latest policy announcement but it should be a local decision, argues Michael Burton