Fiscal devolution
MPs call for urgent finance reforms
Councils should be given more flexibility to raise their own taxes and social care funding urgently needs to be reformed, MPs have said.
'No appetite for fiscal devo,' says pollster
There is no public appetite for fiscal devolution, according to leading pollster Ben Page.
Reed accuses government of dropping devolution
Shadow communities secretary Steve Reed has accused the Government of dropping its commitment to devolution.
Mayors demand fiscal freedoms
The Government has been urged to go further with devolving powers to existing combined authorities.
Former minister tells government: Stop being so ridiculously tribal
Ex-Treasury minister Lord Jim O’Neill has told the Government to stop being ‘so ridiculously tribal’ as it considers the next stage of its devolution policy.
A legacy in London
John O’Brien is stepping down as chief executive of London Councils after 14 years. Heather Jameson steers one of the most understated people in London government round to talking about his achievements.
Fiscal devo ‘would avoid need’ for legal challenge to levelling fund
A legal challenge of the ‘troublingly opaque’ Levelling Up Fund would not be needed if the Government introduced fiscal devolution, a think-tank boss has claimed.
Communities call for funding powers
Funds aimed at levelling up the country should be devolved to communities, according to a new report.
Lord Heseltine calls for a cross-government approach to regeneration
Lord Heseltine has put the case for a senior cross-departmental Cabinet minister and committee to lead on regeneration, 'mirrored in the big regional centres'.
Tear down devolution 'barriers,' APPG urges
Powers should be devolved to councils before reorganisation takes place, a new report has concluded.
LGA pauses tourism levy calls
The Local Government Association (LGA) has agreed to pause its work gathering an evidence base for the introduction of a tourism levy.
A letter to Santa from local government in England
It feels as if local government is on everyone’s ‘naughty list’ at present, says Colin Copus. Here, he writes to Santa with a long list of things all councils would like for Christmas.
LGA presses to move powers out of London
Moving powers from the capital to the regions is more important than moving civil servants, the chair of the Local Government Association (LGA) has said.
Online sales tax backed by London
The local government sector in the capital has advocated the introduction of an online sales tax (OST).
Fixing local government’s financial plumbing
The inevitable result of the funding framework for councils is a disempowered local government, underserved citizens and wasted public money, says Lizzie Insall. She says the sustainable solution lies in ‘fixing the plumbing of local government finance’.
Unitary aims to set standard for devo deals
Buckinghamshire Council is to reveal proposals for a devolution deal that it hopes will become a template for non-metropolitan authorities nationwide.
Why devolution resonates with the public
The centre-local disconnect has become starker during COVID-19 – but a survey shows the public do not see this as the way to shape the country’s route out of the pandemic, say Arianna Giovannini, Jonathan Rose, Edward Cartwright and Jonathan Davies.
Spending Review will 'fail to offer long-term view' for sector
This year’s Spending Review will fail to offer a long-term view for local government, The MJ understands.
We can’t wait any longer for major reform of local government
The current patchwork of local government needs to change if we are to have any hope of levelling up places across the country, argues Simon Jeffrey of Centre for Cities.
Think-tank proposes axing hundreds of councils
England’s 349 councils should be replaced with 69 unitary authorities, a think-tank has argued.
