District Councils Network
Ministers to 'review local government taxation'
Senior ministers have told the sector they are in favour of looking at local government taxation, The MJ understands.
Sunak: Fair funding is my number one task
Local government minister Rishi Sunak has said fair funding is his ‘number one task’.
Brokenshire's 10 minutes of fame
Newish communities secretary James Brokenshire was treated a bit like a celebrity at his first Local Government Association (LGA) conference.
Our economies are constrained by centuries old boundaries
Ian Miller calls for a bottom up approach to LEP boundaries in the future.
Werran named as Localis boss
Think-tank Localis has named Jonathan Werran as its new chief executive, replacing Liam Booth-Smith who left for a post as special adviser to local government secretary James Brokenshire.
The truth about accountability, transparency and f iscal health
Heather Jameson says that just because there is local democracy, it doesn’t mean councils don’t have to be transparent and accountable.
London to get half of £1bn extra housing borrowing
Councils in London will benefit from half of the additional housing borrowing flexibilities despite dominating the list of local authorities with spare headroom, analysis by The MJ has found.
Needs review to decide council tax support
Funding for local council tax support schemes will be considered as part of the review of needs and resources, the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) has said.
Traffic light ratings 'could destabilise' councils
Districts have warned that ‘naming and shaming’ councils in a vulnerable financial situation using a traffic light rating system would be a ‘blunt instrument’.
Understanding the reasons behind change
Sandra Dinneen on embracing and shaping change at the local level.
Districts resist council tax support pressure
Districts have hit back at Government pressure for them to pass on cash for local council tax support schemes (LCTS).
There are huge opportunities for districts to grasp
Collaborating and transforming is in districts' DNA, writes Louise Round.
Districts are the democratic gatekeepers to transformation
John Fuller on a new transformation toolkit launched by the District Councils' Network.
Calls for a new Audit Commission are an affront to localism
Ian Miller rejects recent calls for the reinvention of the Audit Commission.
The value of parks and green spaces
While many local authorities are considering selling off parks and green spaces to balance their budgets, Paul Shevlin explains why Craven DC is doing the opposite.
Government could intervene in tier splits row
The Government could be left to intervene to settle the thorny issue of business rates tier splits under 75% retention, The MJ understands.
Two-tier split issue to be decided
Work to thrash out how two-tier areas will split the cash from 75% business rates retention is expected to take place throughout the spring and summer.
Districts committed to contest single unitary
Buckinghamshire districts have vowed to fight plans for a single unitary council for the county after they were backed by local government secretary Sajid Javid.
Putin’s local putsch
In the aftermath of the Salisbury chemical attack, the media is abuzz with the potential consequences.
Javid backs county unitary in Buckinghamshire
Local government secretary Sajid Javid has backed a single unitary council for Buckinghamshire.