Whitehall
Ministers in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones
The letter on councils’ productivity, sent by local government minister Simon Hoare this week, borders on farcical, says Heather Jameson.
Councils hit with new productivity demands
Ministers have demanded councils improve their productivity in the same week as the Government quietly published a report revealing Whitehall makes the sector less efficient.
Help councils unlock their true power
With LGA plans for a local government White Paper gathering pace, Lord Bichard reiterates the importance of councils being afforded a genuine partnership with central government – something he feels the next government must establish as a matter of priority.
Social work development programme 'pulled' by Department for Education
A Government decision to end a training and development programme for social work managers has been branded a ‘kick in the teeth’ for the sector.
Betts backs Homes England review
Parliament’s housing committee chair has backed calls to remove some responsibilities from Homes England so the agency can focus on affordable housebuilding and regeneration.
Clark: Tories and Labour unwilling to address SEND crisis
Labour and the Conservatives have been accused of an ‘unwillingness’ to confront the crisis in special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) services.
Government ignores sugar levy calls
The Government has ignored Local Government Association (LGA) calls for the sugar levy to be spent by councils to tackle physical inactivity.
Ministers to make more changes to debt rules
Ministers are poised to impose immediate further changes to local government debt rules – including stricter in-year reporting of unpaid loan repayments due to town halls.
Five million could be disenfranchised by voter ID, polling finds
Five million voters could be disenfranchised by the Government’s new voter ID rules at the General Election, first-of-its-kind polling has suggested.
Councils hold back cash plans on fixing potholes
One in seven eligible English highway authorities have failed to detail their plans for the Government’s £300m of redirected HS2 road resurfacing cash.
Next Government urged to look at devolving air passenger duty
The leader of a Labour council in the shadow of Heathrow Airport has urged the next Government to look at devolving air passenger duty (APD).
Homes England urged to strengthen relations with local government
An independent review of Homes England has urged officials to 'build closer relationships' with councils.
Government shelves rollout of council powers
The Department for Transport (DfT) has shelved the further rollout of powers for English councils to enforce moving traffic violations like dangerous driving outside schools.
'Simply not enough money in sector,' says outgoing leader
The outgoing leader of Nottingham City Council has said there ‘simply isn’t enough money’ in local government to ‘run the services our citizens depend on’.
Ministers urged to 'change course' on high streets law
Councils have urged ministers to ‘change course’ as they push ahead with plans to make them produce improvement plans for some of their high streets.
Council eyes cutting back rubbish collection
A council could reduce how often it picks up household rubbish that cannot be recycled or composted to once a month despite Government proposals.
Oflog co-design promises have been broken, say councils
Ministerial promises to ‘co-design’ the Office for Local Government (Oflog) with the sector have been broken, councils have claimed.
Support for Zane's Law gathers momentum
Two more councils have backed calls for greater transparency over contaminated land and waters following the death of a seven-year-old boy.
Devolve NHS England's £168bn budget to local government, says report
NHS England’s £168bn budget should be handed to local government in a radical restructure, the Reform think-tank has suggested in a report today.
Councils 'struggling' to tackle cohesion threats
Councils are struggling to tackle threats to social cohesion due to a lack of support from central government, according to a major review.