Spending Review
London's adult social care services need a long term solution too
Making a success of the NHS Long Term Plan and providing high-quality care to Londoners all depends on the resilience of adult social care over the next decade, according to Ray Puddifoot
When it comes to our cities there are reasons to be cheerful
There is little doubt that 2019 will be an historic and turbulent year, but there are some great opportunities for our cities to drive radical change and play a key role in post-Brexit Britain, says Cllr Judith Blake
Whitehall is suffering from amnesia
We have a fatal combination of both ministers and civil servants with no collective memory - and this has been bad news for local government, says Michael Burton
Let's build on the positives of 2018
Director of the CCN Simon Edwards says that while the latest fair funding consultation is on a positive trajectory there is still a way to go to reset an opaque and unfair system.
Looking at the wider picture
Martin Swales, the new president of SOLACE, talks to Heather Jameson about his plans to use his two-year term to draw on the expertise across the membership and build a stronger influence across Whitehall
Government: Start preparing for no-deal Brexit
Ministers are ‘ramping up’ planning for a no-deal Brexit as the prospect becomes more likely.
City leaders want more say on key post-Brexit policies
City leaders are ambitious to take on more responsibility but Westminster politicians’ focus on Brexit means their needs are not being adequately represented nationally, says new research.
Sometimes the simplest questions are the hardest to answer
Asked what he thought the impact of Brexit would be on local government frontline services, Paul O'Brien was able to give an answer which sounded akin to the famous Donald Rumsfeld response about ‘known knowns and unknown unknowns'.
Pressing on with spending plans despite uncertainty
Newcastle City Council has just launched its medium-term plan for consultation, says Tony Kirkham. Waiting for stability seems even more risky, he adds.
Another week of guessing games is time wasted
For people living and working in cities another week of guessing games about who will stay the course in Westminster is another week wasted in terms of tackling the worsening challenges facing places throughout the country, says Andrew Carter.
Spending Review must factor Brexit’s impact on GDP
Despite economists rubbishing claims that savings on EU contributions post-Brexit could be diverted to the NHS, the Prime Minister continues to make them, says Michael Burton - and the Spending Review must factor Brexit's impact on GDP.
Denial won’t make cash-poor councils’ problems vanish
It must be nice to be Melanie Dawes, to live a life of optimism and confidence. Few senior council figures will be as optimistic as she is, says Heather Jameson.
Public health progress put at risk by cuts
The Government must restore councils’ public health grants because of their important role in the urgent task of improving public health, according to a report from leading health think tank, The King’s Fund.
Local government hits out at Dawes
Local government has hit out at its top mandarin after she claimed councils were still sustainable as they only needed to provide statutory services.
Call for public expenditure presentation overhaul
Next year’s Spending Review should overhaul the presentation of public expenditure within the Government’s fiscal documents to bring it line with other countries, a new report has urged.
EXCLUSIVE: The Bucks stops here
Local government secretary James Brokenshire will only invite new unitary proposals in the case of another Northamptonshire CC-type collapse, The MJ understands.
Let's explore obvious ways of reducing uncertainty
Searching for certainty in an uncertain world may be a fool's errand, according to Abdool Kara. But he believes there are some obvious ways of reducing uncertainty and they should be explored to help preserve services for the most vulnerable.
Brokenshire: 2019 will be turning point for local government
Next year will be a ‘turning point’ for local government, communities secretary James Brokenshire has told the County Councils’ Network conference, with the Spending Review and changes to the finance regime.
London leaders call for 'proper' debate on funding
Central Government needs to have a ‘proper conversation’ on public sector funding and put councils on a sustainable footing for the future, London Councils chair, Cllr Peter John, has told The MJ.
Brokenshire: We need to raise our game and get London building
Housing secretary James Brokenshire has criticised London boroughs after statistics showed a ‘mixed picture’ across the capital in the number of additional homes in 2017/18.