Scotland
Charity working for council to cut 500 jobs
The charity delivering cultural and leisure services in Glasgow on behalf of the city council is planning to cut 500 jobs over the next few years as a result of the pandemic.
Peers call for council tax reform
A cross-party chorus of peers has called for reform of the council tax system and new bands to be introduced.
Freeports threaten to ‘undermine devolution’
Devolved administrations in Scotland and Wales have raised concerns they are being sidelined by the UK Government as it presses ahead with establishing freeports.
Scottish councils receive £3bn housing grant
Local authorities in Scotland are to share more than £3bn of funding in a bid to increase the delivery of affordable homes.
Voter ID 'colossal waste of money,' says Labour
Proposals to introduce voter ID are a ‘colossal waste of money,’ Labour has argued.
Committee calls for urgent consultation on UK Shared Prosperity Fund
Local authorities in Scotland should be consulted on how much funding they will receive under the new UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF), MPs have said.
ICS: Listen to local government if we are to succeed in joining up health and care
David McKinney argues that Integrated Care Systems (ICS) will fall at the first hurdle if local authorities aren’t viewed and treated as equal partners.
Planning for a greener Scotland
With a draft of the latest, environmentally focused Scottish National Planning Framework set for publication later this year, how might this change councils’ approach to applications, asks Rory Alexander.
Sturgeon and Burnham in travel ban spat
Political leaders in Scotland and Greater Manchester have been involved in angry exchanges following the imposition of a travel ban.
Strathclyde in divestment threat
Scotland’s largest local government pension fund will drop investments in fossil fuel firms that fail to act on the climate emergency.
Sustainability of Scottish councils 'at risk' without long-term financial certainty, watchdog warns
The financial sustainability of Scottish councils is at risk without a longer-term settlement, the public spending watchdog has warned today.
Localism is important to the electorate
Janice Morphet looks at the electoral response to the management of the pandemic in England, and considers what the results mean for future devolution.
Burnham calls for Labour push on devolution
Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham has called on his party to provide ‘wholehearted support for true devolution’.
Scottish elections 2021: SNP secures fourth election victory
The SNP has won 64 seats in the Scottish local elections, although was one short of winning a majority.
Scotland has some of least local councils in Europe, says campaign group
Scotland has some of the least local councils in Europe and is lagging behind England in terms of voter representation per councillor, new research has found.
Prospect raised of financial support for Glasgow
The Scottish First Minister has raised the possibility of further financial support for Glasgow City Council to reopen leisure and cultural facilities.
Councils accused of 'grandstanding' on asylum
The immigration minister has told councils to ‘play their part’ in accommodating asylum seekers, accusing them of ‘simply passing motions and making declarations’.
Unions reject councils’ pay offer
Scottish members of two trade unions have voted to reject a pay offer from councils, raising the prospect of strike action.
Jack for Scotland
The Conservatives’ obsession with the Union Jack shows no sign of flagging.
Scotland 'should grasp nettle' of council tax reform
Holyrood should go further in overhauling taxation, research by the Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) has concluded.
