This post is based on an LGiU member briefing by Mark Upton. The Coalition Government has published its first progress report on its reforms to public services (“Opening Public Services 2012” (PDF document)) since last July’s Open Public Services White Paper (PDF document). The key developments are: – An independent review to look at how choice can be…
After the Riots, the final report by the Riots, Communities and Victims Panel chaired by Darra Singh, concludes that ‘the key to avoiding future riots is to have communities that work’, and warns that unless immediate action is taken, riots will re-occur. To build social and economic resilience in communities, the Panel makes 63 recommendations. They cover…
View full map here. Ahead of this year’s local government elections and mayoral referendums we have collated data on authorities that details: who currently controls the council how many seats each party has in each council how many seats are being contested on 3 May We have also identified the top 50 councils where political control…
Community Budgets were introduced in October 2010 as part of the Spending Review with the aim of bringing different national and local funding streams together into a single local funding pot and, by doing so enabling various different local agencies, local authorities included, “to redesign services around the needs of citizens, improving outcomes, reducing duplication and…
The Welfare Reform Act 2012 has been highly controversial. While the broad thrust of Universal Credit has been welcomed – simplifying a complicated benefits system and easing the transition into work – many of the specifics of the new benefit, particularly in relation to Housing Benefit, have received a lot of criticism. It is worth…
On Wednesday 21 March the Chancellor of the Exchequer presented his Budget for 2012, setting out the Government’s plans for the economy and public finances in the year ahead. This post sets out the initial announcements relevant to local government from the Budget. Budget Overview Increasing income tax personal allowance by a further £1,100 in April…
The Department for Communities and Local Government parliamentary questions session came on the same day as two announcements were made; a rise to £75k in the maximum amount of discount that a tenant can claim when exercising the Right to Buy and a related announcement on the New Buy Scheme, which is a mortgage indemnity…
The Government has published its approach to achieving a more integrated society and enabling everyone to live and work successfully alongside each other. It rejects a “Whitehall-dictated approach” of nationally defined programmes focussed on specific groups in favour of one that is strongly shaped by localism and the Big Society. It challenges communities, public services,…
In February, LGiU published research we’ve conducted with local finance officers on the impact and implications of the Local Government Finance Bill. The full results can be found here. Some key findings are: 47% of councils thought they will lose financially through the Bill Only 15% of councils thought they could absorb the 10% cut in council tax…
As Stuart Freeman has tweeted, forget the Oscars, it’s all about tonight’s C’llr Awards. The shortlist can be found here.