Policy
Government warned of 'soaring summer of homelessness'
The Government will fail to fulfil its manifesto commitment of ending rough sleeping for good by 2024 without a cross-Whitehall strategy for reducing homelessness, it has been warned.
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’.
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.
Burnham calls for Labour push on devolution
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has called on his party to provide ‘wholehearted support for true devolution’.
Javid: Devolution crucial in levelling up
Former local government secretary Sajid Javid has stressed the importance of devolution in the drive towards levelling up the country.
Queen's Speech: Controversial voter ID plans roll forward
Voter ID is expected to be introduced by May 2023 after the Government pledged to introduce legislation to ‘ensure the integrity of elections’.
Devolution White Paper to be replaced by levelling up proposals
A levelling up White Paper will replace the long-awaited policy document on devolution and local recovery.
Trio drop out of flagship fund
Three local authorities have now dropped out of the Government’s flagship Housing Infrastructure Fund (HIF), it has emerged.
Devolution call in business leaders' blueprint
Top business leaders have issued a blueprint for recovery that includes more devolved powers for metro mayors, unitaries and counties, and rebranded local enterprise partnerships (LEPs).
LEPs consider futures amid review
Local enterprise partnerships (LEPs) are considering their futures after ministers and officials signed off the terms of reference of a widescale government-led review.
Homelessness charity calls for Home Office rules to be scrapped
Home Office rules ‘undermine’ efforts to end rough sleeping and should be ‘scrapped immediately,’ a charity has said.
Storm brewing over exit payment data demands
Government demands for details of senior staff pay-offs have been branded ‘particularly pernicious’ and unfairly aimed at local government.
Sector urged not to give up on health devolution
The sector should not give up on securing future health devolution deals despite the Government’s ‘centralising tendency,’ experts have urged.
Councils to be given five years to spend Right to Buy receipts
Councils will be given five years to spend receipts from Right to Buy sales as part of an overhaul of the key housing policy, local government secretary Robert Jenrick has announced.
Hancock's half hour to ease sector concerns
Health and social care secretary Matt Hancock has attempted to ease local government concerns about far-reaching NHS legislation plans.
BUDGET 2021: New freeport sites confirmed
Chancellor Rishi Sunak closed his Budget speech today with a commitment to eight new freeport sites - international gateways that will enjoy a raft of tax breaks from later this year.
Think-tank launches levelling up Big Bang theory
The Government should launch a Northern Big Bang to ‘unleash a torrent of investment into the Northern economy’ says a report from a Conservative think-tank.
Councils told to return millions in business grants to Whitehall
Councils are being ordered to return millions of pounds in business grants to Whitehall even with firms shuttered in the middle of a national lockdown.
Councils still hungry for cash despite winter grant scheme
Councils that want to use the new £170m COVID winter grant scheme to stop children going hungry during school holidays may need more cash, the Government has been told.
Healthy life expectancy target well off track, report finds
The Government is in danger of a lost decade with its target of increasing healthy life expectancy by five years by 2035 well off track, according to a report from right-of-centre think-tank Policy Exchange.
