SOLACE
Legal action threatened over exit cap
Three local government groups have joined together to threaten a judicial review over the Government’s £95,000 cap on public sector exit payments.
Dilnot presses for care overhaul
Social care reform should take place now despite the ongoing coronavirus crisis, Sir Andrew Dilnot has argued.
Councils told to tackle funding through diversity
Increasing the level of diversity in local government is key to tackling the sector’s funding gap, according to one expert in the field.
Tax increases more likely than austerity, says Flanders
A top economist has predicted that tax increases are more likely than another bout of austerity.
Labour would adopt 'local by default' approach
A Labour government would strike a ‘new settlement between citizens and the state’ and adopt a ‘local by default’ approach, shadow communities secretary Steve Reed has pledged.
Axing of PHE is opportunity to 'reframe' health protection
Public Health England’s (PHE) axing offers a chance for health protection to be ‘reframed’ and an opportunity for local government to ‘get into that place,’ an expert has said.
Ministry needs to be more than just a 'dating agency', Dame Louise tells Solace
Local government bodies need a plan to get the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG) taken seriously at the top level of Government, a former adviser to Prime Minister Boris Johnson has warned.
Budget cancellation ‘unacceptable’
The cancellation of the autumn Budget has created 'huge uncertainty,' the Scottish Government has said.
Rebooting our sector
Solace’s week of virtual learning Reflect.Reset.Re-imagine has begun. Here, three Solace spokespeople set the scene by looking at the profound impact of COVID-19 on the sector and local communities, and what lies ahead.
Roney to take on Solace role
Manchester City Council chief executive Joanne Roney is set to take on the post of President of Solace at the body’s AGM next month.
Solace president steps down as South Tyneside chief
Solace president Martin Swales has stepped down as chief executive of South Tyneside Council, after ten years in post.
EXCLUSIVE: Nine regional chiefs deliver Whitehall ultimatum
An ultimatum has been delivered by the nine regional chief executives working closely with the Government on the sector’s response to the coronavirus pandemic, The MJ has learnt.
Future Forum: Whitehall ‘lacks belief’ in councils
The relationship between local authorities and central government is holding the sector back, The MJ's Future Forum has heard.
Now is the time to reflect, reset and reimagine the future of local government
It's all too easy to paint a bleak picture where local government professionals become the administrators of decline, says Graeme McDonald. But we should remain optimistic, as 'COVID has seen councils across the UK repeatedly step up to deliver'.
A Programme of change for Scotland
Scotland’s new Programme for Government offered Indyref 2 as the showstopper, but for local government across the UK the focus will be on the findings of a review to consider the move to a National Care Service. Heather Jameson reports.
Making the most of remote working
Solace's Karishma Vakta-Smith looks at the impact of remote working, and what it means for the future of recruitment.
LGA code of conduct under fire
A model code of conduct for councillors put forward by the Local Government Association (LGA) lacks teeth, according to bodies representing officers.
Senior officers accuse leader of bullying at Solace president's council
A bitter row has broken out between senior officers and the leader of the council where the president of Solace is chief executive.
Councils to receive cyber probe
One in 10 councils will be offered ‘penetration testing’ of their cyber security arrangements to ‘identify and potentially remediate’ vulnerabilities.
Preparing for the storms ahead
As communities face a triple threat this winter of COVID-19, councils’ precarious finances and potential flooding, Sharon Kemp urges the Government to empower councils to be responsive to the problems ahead.
