Martin Ford
Local government pay summit to go ahead
Negotiators hope to keep local government pay discussions on track despite the difficulties posed by the coronavirus crisis.
Hancock writes to ‘brilliant’ care workers
Health secretary Matt Hancock has published a letter to care workers to thank them for ‘going the extra mile’ during the ongoing coronavirus pandemic.
Manchester to create housing company
Manchester City Council is to create its own development company in a bid to meet ambitious housing targets.
Local government spends £3.8bn with strategic suppliers
The Government’s strategic suppliers received a quarter of their public sector income from local authorities last year, new figures have revealed.
Care sector unprepared for coronavirus ‘struggle’
Emergency measures have not gone far enough to ready the social care sector for the impact of coronavirus, experts have warned.
Ombudsman suspends cases
The Local Government and Social Care Ombudsman has suspended all cases that require input from councils and care providers.
Interim chief resigns over ‘pre-determined’ appointment process
Newport City Council’s interim chief executive has resigned after heavily criticising the process for making a permanent appointment.
Children's charities issue warning over emergency laws
Eleven groups have warned of the impact of coronavirus disruption on vulnerable sections of society.
Coronavirus forces developers to down tools
Infrastructure and development projects are beginning to stall as construction firms cease work in the face of the coronavirus pandemic.
SEND support legal requirements relaxed
The Government has used emergency powers to relax requirements for councils supporting children with special educational needs and disabilities (SEND).
Lords postal votes criticism rejected
Civil servants have defended the postal votes system in the face of criticism from Lords.
Public health funding boosted almost 5%
Councils will receive public health grants totalling £3.3bn next year, the Government has announced.
Academics urge fiscal devolution
Experts have told MPs that financial powers must form part of the Government’s devolution plans.
Local government audit deadline extended
The deadline for local government financial audits has been pushed back by two months.
York publishes details of chief executive's retirement package
A political row had broken out over the circumstances of Mary Weastell's departure.
Councils respond to coronavirus outbreak
Councils have closed, events and meetings have been cancelled and some politicians are in self-isolation in a bid to stem the spreading of the coronavirus pandemic.
Serco strike action averted
Strike action by refuse workers in Sandwell has been averted after Serco withdrew planned changes to collections.
Watchdog scolds developer over £94m accounting error
Galliford Try overstated its assets by tens of millions via a number of errors.
Coronavirus care guidance published
The Government has published guidance for councils on how to protect social care during the coronavirus pandemic.
Government postpones elections
Local government elections due to take place on 7 May have been postponed for a year due to the coronavirus pandemic.