Coronavirus
Protecting our borough’s future
Planning guidance may sound technical and uninspiring, but using it to protect the environment and historic buildings is anything but, says Cllr Johnny Thalassites.
We must stop the Treasury tail wagging the Government dog
Graeme McDonald senses 'much of Whitehall has a greater understanding of our challenges than for many years, but is handcuffed by the inflexible, rigid approach imposed by a shortsighted Exchequer'.
The top national job, that’s more local than you think
Heather Jameson asks: 'Who would want to be Prime Minister when it is the local government issues that he needs to solve?'
Sturgeon and Burnham in travel ban spat
Political leaders in Scotland and Greater Manchester have been involved in angry exchanges following the imposition of a travel ban.
Self-isolation payments 'failing' workers
Two out of three people applying for self-isolation payments are being rejected, according to new research.
Commission calls for local government to chair ICS partnerships
Local government leaders or metro mayors should chair Integrated care systems (ICSs) partnerships, according to a new report from the cross-party Health Devolution Commission.
Virtual meetings have boosted local democracy, survey finds
Nine in 10 councils believe local democracy has improved as a direct result of online council meetings, a survey has found.
Khan: Councils on the frontline of tackling extremism
Local authorities are on the ‘frontline’ of the battle against extremism, an adviser to Prime Minister Boris Johnson has said.
COVID vaccines to be mandatory for care home staff
The Government has confirmed everyone working in a Care Quality Commission-registered care home in England will need to be fully vaccinated against COVID-19.
Taking bold action for communities
‘Bold, public, political leadership’ with many forms of ‘listening’ as a critical feature has been at the core of Barking and Dagenham’s and Greater Manchester’s successes in recent months and years, say Sarah Gillinson and Chris Naylor.
Finding local solutions to the challenges ahead
Councils are uniquely placed to convene and work with local and national partners to address the jobs and skills challenge as the economy opens up, says Sir Richard Leese.
Councils are owed certainty on funding
The Public Accounts Committee has published its fifth annual report. Chair Meg Hillier says there is much for local government to be concerned about and ‘even the best councils face real struggles ahead’.
Budgeting in volatile times
As we transition to a post-COVID world, councils are going to have to ‘learn quickly in real time’ how to handle levels of demand and price volatility never seen before in the sector, says Gary Fielding.
Tackling the social care talent deficit
The development of the future leaders within councils, be that in children’s services or elsewhere, must start now, says Philip Emms.
The financial hole is not as deep as it looks
We can say with confidence that the hole councils are in is not as deep as it looks, says Rob Whiteman - 'but we still have a tremendous amount of work ahead to ensure the financial sustainability of councils, moving forward'.
Ministers appear 'complacent' over care home closures, MPs warn
The Government ‘seems complacent’ about the risk of care homes collapsing in the wake of the pandemic, MPs have warned today.
Sharpening the commercial edge
The case for well-managed council commercial activity is one that needs to be defended if we want a mature and sustainable local state, argues Jonathan Werran.
Regional mayors should make their voices heard
Heather Jameson says the Government has created strong regional mayors to represent their own places and they should 'now let them roar'.
Squeezing the balloon
Resources for social care are down and demand is pent up and rising says Iain MacBeath, but now must be the time to realise people’s ambitions for more flexible personalised support.
Districts need support to keep leisure centres open
If the Government is really serious about health and wellbeing, then district councils must have financial support from central Government to keep their leisure centres open and thriving, argues Paul Shevlin.
