LGA
Spending review: Ensuring an economic recovery which benefits everyone
Investment in local public services is critical to national recovery, and councils can only lead local efforts to tackle the inequalities the pandemic has exposed and made worse with the right funding and freedoms, says Cllr James Jamieson.
Councils have 'serious concerns' over protecting rough sleepers this winter
Some councils will face the 'difficult choice' of leaving people to sleep rough or placing them in unsafe accommodation this winter, a new report has warned.
Surge support required for local test and trace
Council-run test and trace systems cannot entirely replace the national system, the Local Government Association (LGA) has conceded.
‘Challenges’ remain despite Brexit funding
Concerns remain about the looming end of the Brexit transition period despite councils receiving £10m to aid preparations.
Local government 'must have parity' with NHS on pay
The chairman of the LGA’s Community Wellbeing Board says the hard work of the sector during the pandemic must be recognised as the chancellor moves to put a squeeze on public sector salaries.
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.
More Section 114 notices predicted next year
Local authorities are facing deep cuts to frontline services and Section 114 notices next year, the sector has warned.
S151 officers warned off pensions roles
Section 151 officers have been discouraged from taking on new pensions governance roles.
Questions over Brexit preparation at ports
A call has been made to the Government to shift its focus from Dover to other ports as it prepares for a no-deal Brexit.
Keeping it local
It’s local councils who are gearing up to support businesses and residents through lockdown, with the help of funding from government, according to Paul Shevlin. So is public trust in central Government waning?
Councils tax discounts reach record high
More than 2.5 million people have claimed a discount on their council tax bills according to the latest statistics.
Unions pile on pressure over exit pay cap
More organisations are preparing legal action to challenge the Government's cap on public sector exit pay.
LGA board chair hits out at culture secretary
The chair of the Local Government Association’s (LGA) culture, tourism and sport board has claimed culture secretary Oliver Dowden ‘won’t engage with us at all’.
Counties warn of test and trace ‘missed opportunity’
Calls for more support for local contact tracing have been redoubled after the national system’s success rate plummeted.
Government promises test and trace 'flexibility'
Councils have been offered greater support to conduct local COVID test and trace operations.
Data to face the dangers ahead
To avoid making the same mistakes in adult social care, we need to use data intelligently to plan for further waves of COVID-19, say Naheed Chaudhry and Ewan King.
Together, we can strengthen the UK's economic recovery
The LGA’s Spending Review submission sets out how councils can be the driver to achieve shared priorities between central and local government, says Cllr James Jamieson.
The importance of ‘getting’ all the tiers of the local
A belief that central Government doesn’t ‘get’ councils was a theme at The MJ Future Forum. But Jonathan Flowers argues we need to look at our own localism issues.
Facing down the pandemic
A line-up of 13 top speakers delivered The MJ’s first virtual Future Forum on lessons learned from the pandemic and the challenges and opportunities facing the sector. Michael Burton and Heather Jameson report on the conclusions.
The LGA ‘can and should do better’ on standards
The Local Government Association’s draft member code of conduct does not include an independent mechanism for holding councillors to account, says Donald Graham.
