12 February 2020

District councils need a broader range of fiscal devolution, starting with the taxes, fees and charges that councils already collect, says Ian Miller.

28 January 2020

Peter Stanyon says there are urgent lessons to learn from the 2019 elections – and challenges ahead in 2020 and beyond include the wider need for urgent reform to election law, funding and support.

28 January 2020

The new Government is rhetorically placing itself as a radical one that will move fast, says Dr Jonathan Carr-West – but he warns that for local government there is a ‘groundhog day’ element.

14 January 2020

We hope ministers take away the message from conference next month that it is districts, backed by long-term sustainable funding, who are best placed to turn the new decade into the roaring twenties, says Cllr John Fuller.

14 January 2020

The Government has started to prepare the ground for the introduction of new business rate reliefs after its previous efforts were labelled a ‘shambles’.

07 January 2020

Full retention of business rates could shoot back up the agenda as part of a long-awaited Government review, The MJ understands.

19 December 2019

The second Queen’s Speech in almost as many months has promised an ‘ambitious programme of domestic reform’.

18 December 2019

Getting ‘Brexit Done’ should open up an oven-ready settlement for local government to implement real change, says chief executive of  APSE Paul O’Brien.

16 December 2019

One of Boris Johnson's key priorities must be to publish the provisional Finance Settlement quickly - and the LGA agrees with the Government's position that we need to get away from ‘Whitehall knows best’, says chairman Cllr James Jamieson.

19 November 2019

Fears have been raised that the UK will be landed with a ‘watered-down replacement’ for the EU Committee of the Regions after Brexit.

30 October 2019

County councils are being offered the option of unitary local government as part of a devolution deal, The MJ understands.

23 October 2019

At first glance there’s much for local government to get its teeth into in the Queen’s Speech, not least the promise of further devolution, says Bob Neill. But more frustratingly the wait continues for the Green Paper on social care.

18 October 2019

Local Government leaders have urged ministers to consult them ahead of a White Paper on ‘structural and institutional reform’ of combined authorities.

15 October 2019

Following the Queen's Speech, Heather Jameson says that personally her glass is at least half-full. But as the Prime Minister prepares to boost Britain after we leave the EU, Government policy is looking somewhat paradoxical.

15 October 2019

The Queen's Speech made it clear that Government has been listening to the LGA on some key issues, says James Jamieson - 'but we now need a long-term settlement that gives local government the powers, money and certainty to transform their areas'.

14 October 2019

The Government has promised to finally bring forward proposals to reform adult social care and will consult on providing councils with the power to introduce an annual 2% precept.

14 October 2019

The Queen's Speech has pledged a revamped national infrastructure strategy designed to help support growth across the UK, as well as an aviation bill and proposals for rail reform.

14 October 2019

See all The MJ's coverage of the Queen's Speech, from Brexit to devolution, voter ID and plans to tackle violent crime

14 October 2019

The Queen’s Speech promised an Environment Bill which will establish a ‘world-leading’ independent regulator, the Office for Environmental Protection, and hand some new powers to councils.

14 October 2019

An English devolution White Paper is planned by the Government, it has been confirmed in the Queen’s Speech.