Spending Review
Spending review: Rishi delivered what we needed, stability
In a time of financial uncertainty, the chancellor's Spending Review delivered basic stability. Now county councils need to be at the heart of levelling up, says Cllr David Williams
Spending review: The road ahead is still paved with uncertainty
The efforts of local government during the pandemic have been astounding, which makes the public sector pay freeze much harder to swallow, says Cllr Sharon Taylor.
Greater certainty is needed on social care reform
The Spending Review was a missed chance to provide adequate funding and a firm basis for the reforms the Government has committed to bring forward, says Dr Eleanor Roy.
SPENDING REVIEW: Live to fight another year
Local government has probably got just about enough from the chancellor to keep the show on the road, says Jonathan Werran. 'And possibly extend the road for the sake of kicking the familiar battered can that is social care funding down it...'
Sunak unveils a Spending Review for jobs, public services and infrastructure
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has unveiled a £4bn levelling up fund as part of a Spending Review which he claimed offered ‘huge investment’ in jobs, public services and infrastructure.
Spending Review: UKSPF to reach £1.5bn a year
The value of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will reach around £1.5bn a year on average, chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced.
Spending Review: Public sector pay increase for low earners
Public sector worker wage increases will be limited to the lowest paid, the chancellor has announced this afternoon.
Spending Review: Infrastructure gets pride of place
The chancellor Rishi Sunak used the 2020 Spending Review to launch a new strategy for UK infrastructure.
Spending Review: £2.9bn 'restart programme' to help unemployed
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a three-year £2.9bn ‘restart programme’ to help more than one million people unemployed for more than a year find work.
Spending Review: NHS receives £3bn funding boost
The chancellor has announced £18bn will be spent on preventative coronavirus measures next year, including vaccines, testing and personal protective equipment.
Investing in our future
Jenny Coles is president of the Association of Directors of Children’s Services Jenny Coles explains why early investment in children prevents harm and makes financial sense.
Warm words mean nothing when frontline staff are snubbed
Heather Jameson says: 'The Prime Minister’s speech to Scottish Conservatives at the weekend, reiterating his commitment to devolution.... all bodes well for local government. Or does it?'
All I want for Christmas
As an early Christmas present Tony Kirkham would like 'a clear and positive Comprehensive Spending Review which adequately reflects the demands on local government'. And he would like 'a local government settlement that allows us to meet the needs of our residents and businesses'.
Sunak to re-write Green Book to level up the North
Chancellor Rishi Sunak is expected to announce plans to re-write the Green Book in the spending review this week, as part of the Government’s commitment to levelling up.
HOUSING: You get what you give
Localis chief executive Jonathan Werran asks what the inability to deliver a multi-year finance settlement means for housing recovery.
EXCLUSIVE: Sector faces 'second lost decade'
The local government sector has been warned it faces a ‘second lost decade’ as a new index revealed the most financially vulnerable district councils.
'Wide-ranging' government care review 'very imminent'
Children’s minister Vicky Ford has promised that the long-awaited review into the care system is ‘very imminent’ and will be ‘wide ranging’.
Councils tax discounts reach record high
More than 2.5 million people have claimed a discount on their council tax bills according to the latest statistics.
Councils stare into a highly uncertain financial future
Extra funding will help English councils this year, but big questions remain for 2021 and beyond, says associate director of the Institute for Fiscal Studies David Phillips.
Just another brick in the wall?
The 55 Northern Conservative MPs who wrote to No 10 this week know that if they cannot deliver what the ‘red wall’ voters expected them to deliver then they are toast at the next general election, writes Mike Burton.
