Whitehall
Government pulls plug from counter-extremism group
The Government has withdrawn funding for a network that shares experiences and good practice in tackling extremists.
Spelthorne undergoes finance peer review
A council branded reckless for excessively borrowing to buy up commercial property has undergone a finance peer review from the Local Government Association (LGA).
Spending review: Rishi delivered what we needed, stability
In a time of financial uncertainty, the chancellor's Spending Review delivered basic stability. Now county councils need to be at the heart of levelling up, says Cllr David Williams
Spending review: The road ahead is still paved with uncertainty
The efforts of local government during the pandemic have been astounding, which makes the public sector pay freeze much harder to swallow, says Cllr Sharon Taylor.
Flood funding for councils may not be enough, watchdog finds
The Government is unable to prove councils have enough funding for flood defences, a spending watchdog has discovered.
Spending Review: UKSPF to reach £1.5bn a year
The value of the UK Shared Prosperity Fund (UKSPF) will reach around £1.5bn a year on average, chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced.
Spending Review: £2.9bn 'restart programme' to help unemployed
Chancellor Rishi Sunak has announced a three-year £2.9bn ‘restart programme’ to help more than one million people unemployed for more than a year find work.
Councils key to tackling 'anti-vax mob'
Councils must act quickly to knock down the ‘anti-vax mob’ as the Government puts the sector at the heart of its strategy to tackle coronavirus, a senior public health chief has urged.
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.
Government adviser urges councils to prepare for post-lockdown
Councils should be preparing residents now for emerging safely from lockdown, a member of the Government’s scientific advisory group, SAGE, has told a District Councils' Network meeting.
EXCLUSIVE: Stretched councils rumbled over identical financial returns
Councils have been reminded to regularly update their monthly financial returns to Whitehall after stretched teams were caught submitting the same numbers each time.
Early days for motion
It was a heartfelt message of thanks to local authorities that went out from Green Party MP Caroline Lucas.
Watchdog mauls asylum system
Councils are being given little or no notice when asylum seekers are moved into their areas, a report has found.
Leisure centre collapse warning
Under-pressure leisure centres will go under without further rescue funding on top of the £100m already pledged by the Government, district councils have warned.
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.
An opportunity to rewrite local-central relations
Now it is time to click refresh on the Johnson Government. But what of local government and the Blue Wall, asks Heather Jameson. 'Where does that leave the PM’s promises of levelling up and devolving down?'
Government stop-gap on SEND deficits
Treasurers have welcomed a second government attempt to deal with spiralling special educational needs and disabilities (SEND) deficits but have stressed it is ‘not sustainable’.
Sector braced for more Whitehall interventions
Local government is braced for further Whitehall interventions in the wake of ministers launching reviews of two councils within days of each other.
Tier system to be stronger and more consistent
A stricter, more consistent tier system of COVID-19 restrictions in England is being looked at when the country emerges from lockdown.
Preparing reorganisation is a pointless distraction
Only Somerset, North Yorkshire and Cumbria have been asked to submit unitary proposals. Steve Leach and Colin Copus say local authorities should reflect ‘real places, not artificial constructs, with which people have no affinity’.
