Fair Funding Review
We need to resist the creep of pork barrel politics
The 'creep of increasingly overt pork barrel politics into our winner-takes-all electoral system ultimately benefits no-one', says Jessica Studdert.
Councils left 'in the dark' on funding
Turmoil at Number 10 means councils will have to wait for details on next year’s funding arrangements.
Deprivation should be the cornerstone of council funding
The Fair Funding Review presents a huge opportunity to get ‘levelling up’ back on track, says Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton.
Queen’s Speech: ‘levelling up’ let down
Sir Stephen Houghton says we must not see blame being levelled on those areas who are not able to meet the levelling up mission targets – 'when it is in fact that local areas are not being given a penny by the Government to be able to reach them'.
Future Forum: Funding gap could grow by up to £2bn
The funding gap facing the sector could grow by up to £2bn over the Spending Review period, the deputy chief executive of the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.
Will the fair funding review be another damp squib?
David Phillips says that, if the fair funding review becomes a repeat of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund, it increases the risk that the Government’s flagship levelling up agenda remains little more than a slogan.
Future Forum North: hopes fading for funding reform
Doubts have been cast on the prospects for an overhaul of council funding by Local Government Association (LGA) chief executive Mark Lloyd.
Think-tank to 'look under the bonnet’ of funding allocations
The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) will scrutinise how government spending decisions impact on the levelling up agenda.
White Paper has welcome ambition but fails to mention role of austerity
Even if the Government streamlines funding arrangements it will not be able to achieve any of the Levelling Up White Paper missions unless the scale of intervention drastically increases, says Stephen Houghton.
The levelling up of local government funding is long overdue
The system for funding local services is desperately in need of root and branch reform and a half-hearted fair funding review will just store up even bigger problems for the future, says Chris Tambini.
Difficult decisions lie ahead for counties
County Councils Network analysis projects that even with the extra funding secured by the sector, its 36 members will collectively have a gap of £700m in 2022-23, says Nicola Beach.
This settlement is very much a stop gap
Cllr Sir Stephen Houghton of SIGOMA says a ‘stopgap’ settlement with a welcome funding boost needs to be followed by a fair funding review that supports the Government’s levelling up agenda.
Will funding land next month to help levelling up?
Councils will await with interest December’s annual financial settlement to see where funding lands at the local level, says Paul O'Brien. Will this signify the beginning of significant attempts at levelling up, he asks.
It is teamwork that makes the dream work
The Government would be wise to do all it can to de-escalate tensions with councils over funding, says Joanne Pitt.
Council tax could easily rise by 5% a year - IFS
English councils will need billions more from government and big tax rises to maintain services and pay for social care reforms, says new analysis published today by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS).
A clearer path?
David Phillips says the Spending Review cannot bring councils funding certainty but it can bring clarity – and the Government should still use it to answer some key questions.
Hartlepool call for fairer funding
A cross-party demand for fairer council tax and local government funding has been sent to Secretary of State Robert Jenrick by Hartlepool BC.
It’s only a win if everyone succeeds
For SIGOMA members – unitary and metropolitan councils across England – funding service fairly is the key, says Sir Stephen Houghton.
EXCLUSIVE: Finance reforms in 2022-23 'challenging but possible'
Government officials believe it is still possible to introduce much-anticipated finance reforms to the sector in time for the next financial year, The MJ understands.
A busy summer through to autumn of future funding consultations lies ahead
The outmoded system of local government financing means huge disparities between councils’ funding levels continue and the sector faces a real medium-term period of uncertainty that has been knocking on the door for years, says Tracy Bingham.