Eric Pickles
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.
CIPFA to 'look again' at select committee's report
Local government finance experts will ‘look again’ at a six-year-old report by MPs on improving taxpayers’ understanding of how and why public money is spent.
Fears as ministers eye rising council reserves
New Government plans to scrutinise council reserves have sparked fresh fears ministers are encouraging local authorities to ‘sail close to the wind’ with their finances.
Grenfell council admits leadership was 'unable to cope'
Kensington & Chelsea LBC has admitted to the Grenfell Tower Inquiry its ‘leadership was unable to cope’ in the days after the tragedy.
New accountability body 'stops short' of Audit Commission reinvention
Plans for a body to oversee the accountability of local government stop just short of re-inventing the Audit Commission, according to experts.
Pickles committee calls for more freedoms and resources for councils
A select committee whose members include ex-communities secretary Lord Pickles has said councils must be given new freedoms and resources to support recovery from coronavirus.
Channelling Charlton
Diary can always count on our old chum/adversary (*delete depending on mood) Eric Pickles to come up with a striking image.
Pickles praises mayors during pandemic
Former local government secretary Eric Pickles has admitted he was a ‘late convert’ to the idea of metro mayors.
Uproar at move towards 'national bin service'
Councils are preparing to fight government plans to create what they fear will be a ‘national bin service’.
LGA distances itself from fire safety guide
The Local Government Association (LGA) has distanced itself from guidance hosted on its website that has been criticised in the wake of the Grenfell Tower fire.
Fresh league table fears
The prospect of council performance being ranked in a league table has been raised again this week.
Government stands firm after Pickles plea
The Government has said it ‘would not be appropriate’ to pay legal costs to whistleblowers in electoral fraud cases despite a former communities secretary revealing he fought for it to happen.
Pickles: Fraud can change council control
There are still weaknesses in the running of local elections, a House of Lords select committee has heard.
Councils to appeal 'town hall Pravdas' ruling
Waltham Forest and Hackney LBCs will appeal after a judge backed Government attempts to stop them publishing a council newspaper every two weeks.
Councils on reserves danger list named
Eleven councils in danger of running out of reserves have been publicly named in the face of continuing concerns about the creation of league tables.
Savings don't stop cavings
Ex-communities secretary Eric Pickles is soon to be elevated to join his House of Lords chums, heralding a new chapter in his political career.
Pickles for Strictly?
These days secretaries of state at Marsham Street barely have time to gather their thoughts before they are catapulted to another part of Whitehall.
Davis has Pickles for lunch
Former communities secretary Eric Pickles was rather fond of a free lunch.
Declining pay is an issue for both staff and chiefs
It seems like another era when communities secretary Eric Pickles lambasted council chief executives for earning ‘more than the prime minister.’
The pick of Pickles
Diary has long been unashamed in its appreciation for former communities secretary Sir Eric Pickles.