CIPFA
Nottingham plans £100m asset sale
The council has identified £100m of assets for sale as part of a plan to bring its finances under control.
Libraries are vital to tackling loneliness
The UK's libraries are a key element in tackling loneliness and isolation, says Rob Whiteman. Yet CIPFA data shows that total spending on libraries in Great Britain has decreased by 2.6% from 2018/19.
Spelthorne undergoes finance peer review
A council branded reckless for excessively borrowing to buy up commercial property has undergone a finance peer review from the Local Government Association (LGA).
What can we take away from Croydon’s s114 notice?
It’s immediately clear from Croydon LBC’s section 114 action that local government must recognise and respect their collective responsibility for maintaining a council’s financial health, says Rob Whiteman.
No easy way out
The pandemic is just the latest in a long list of pressures that have pushed Croydon LBC to the edge and led to the publication of a Section 114 report last week, writes Dan Peters.
More Section 114 notices predicted next year
Local authorities are facing deep cuts to frontline services and Section 114 notices next year, the sector has warned.
The future of green investment starts now
David Bentley takes a look at the Government’s green finance strategy and throws the spotlight on examples of local authorities engaging in ‘green growth’, while highlighting issues to consider moving forward.
Croydon issues Section 114 notice
Crisis-hit Croydon LBC has issued a Section 114 notice after extra spending controls proved not to be enough.
We can't just kick the can down the road
The recently revised advice promoted by CIPFA rightly helps finance directors to give their own organisations more opportunity than ever to try and avoid a s114, says Gary Fielding.
Government needs a plan to tackle public service backlog, says IfG
The Government needs a plan to address backlogs in public services caused by the coronavirus crisis, a new report has claimed.
£1bn funding still not enough to meet needs
Councils hit hardest by coronavirus are those receiving the most help in the latest tranche of funding from the Government, analysis by the Institute of Fiscal Studies (IFS) has revealed.
Coronavirus leads to scrapping of three-year Spending Review
Plans to create a three-year settlement for public spending have been abandoned as latest figures show the havoc coronavirus is wreaking on the public finances.
Fears over growing data regulation
Finance chiefs warn public sector will suffer due to misuse of data by private firms.
Hammond: COVID has sealed the fate of centralism
The COVID crisis has ‘sealed the fate’ of centralised public services in the UK, former Chancellor of the Exchequer Philip Hammond has warned.
Whiteman criticises 'reckless' council
A council has been criticised for making the first dive into the swaps market decades after a scandal involving Hammersmith & Fulham LBC.
Battle rages for multi-year settlement
A battle for a multi-year settlement for local government is unfolding ahead of the Government’s Spending Review.
Government urged to increase children's services funding
The Spending Review marks a crucial moment for a system of children’s social care that is reaching ‘breaking point,' an event heard this week.
Facing down the pandemic
A line-up of 13 top speakers delivered The MJ’s first virtual Future Forum on lessons learned from the pandemic and the challenges and opportunities facing the sector. Michael Burton and Heather Jameson report on the conclusions.
Whiteman: Audit appointment system not independent enough
The system of appointing auditors needs to be independent and not driven by a politically-led organisation, finance expert Rob Whiteman has argued.
Call for multi-year funding
Ministers have been urged to commit to multi-year settlements for local government by the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).
