Archive: Local Government

Are coalitions declining in local government?

Birmingham finally fell to Labour on May 3rd this year

We might be getting accustomed to coalition politics in Westminster, but in local government the art of two-party government is suffering a few setbacks at the moment.

Local elections 2012 rolling analysis

Local and mayoral elections as-it-happened

Local elections 2012: Big wins for Labour boost confidence in Miliband

Comment: The case for more elected mayors

Alexandra Jones is chief executive of Centre for Cities

This is potentially one of the most significant changes to England's political landscape in many years.

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Comment: We can learn from the mayors we have

Liam Scott-Smith is head of external affairs for the New Local Government Network.

The government should acknowledge and utilise the experience of the existing mayors as they will have valuable lessons to share.

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Council tax will rise for 40% of households

The statistics show an increase of £4.39 a year

Almost half of English households will see their council tax rise, despite increased government incentives to freeze rates.

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Analysis: The council prayers debate

Paul Bickley is senior researcher at religious thinktank Theos

The ruling over prayers at Bideford town council brings no clarity to the issue of whether we live in a secular society or not.

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Devon council prayers 'unlawful'

Bideford town council acted illegally by conducting prayers before meetings, the high court has ruled.

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Councils demand '19th century' Whitehall reforms

Time to reform Whitehall's money levers?

Council leaders are attacking Whitehall's model of departmental funding as outdated, as they demand greater use of community budgets.

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Council forces Santa to take 'elf and safety course

He should probably be looking where he's going

Santa Claus's Christmas preparations have been disrupted after he was compelled to take a health and safety course by a concerned local council.

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Reynolds: Clear changes needed

Fiona Reynolds, director-general of the National Trust, comments on the communities and local government committee report on local planning

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Clarke: We want a simpler system

Greg Clark, decentralisation Minister, comments on the communities and local government committee report on local planning:

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Betts: Undermining the environment

Clive Betts, chair of the communities and local government committee commented on his report on local planning:

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LGA: Councils will help improve lives of troubled families

Local Government Association chairman Sir Merrick Cockell comments on David Cameron's bid to intervene in the lives of the UK's 120,000 most troubled families

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Huge pressure for job cuts on councils' £30bn paybill

Manchester was among the first councils to announce job cuts

Councils have no choice but to undergo "major restructuring" to cope with public spending cuts, the Audit Commission has warned.

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Londoners more loyal to London than UK

London pride - but not enough to demand new powers for Boris

Londoners are prouder of the city they live in than they are of Britain itself, a new poll has revealed.

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'All-night raves' surprise winners of red-tape cuts

The government's drive to cut red tape is giving carte blanche to all-night raves, councils have warned.

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Town halls waver over council tax freeze

Brighton Greens are set to reject council tax hike

As many as one in five local authorities could reject the government's offer of a freeze in council tax, research out today suggests.

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Local authority money 'not distributed fairly'

Piling up: Local spending can be based on historic patterns rather than current need.

Money for local authorities is not always fairly distributed because of a "complex and difficult to understand" system of central government funding, according to MPs.

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Map highlights councils' 'lost veterans' problem

British veterans could end up without local government support due to a lack of information about where they live, according to the Local Government Association (LGA).

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City mayors 'deserve more powers'

London's City Hall, HQ of the capital's mayor

Plans to use mayors to drive the economic recovery will only succeed if they are given more powers, former Cabinet minister Andrew Adonis has warned Eric Pickles.

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Union fights council plan to cut 1,200 jobs

Southampton docks, where port health workers are on strike today

Southampton city council has become the first big local authority to ask its workers to take a pay cut or lose their jobs, triggering a row with unions.

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PM pushes transparency drive

Whitehall transparency bid steps up a notch

Fresh commitments to opening up the work of government are being announced by David Cameron today.

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David Cameron's LGA speech in full

David Cameron makes the government's case on public sector pensions

David Cameron addresses the Local Government Association's conference in Birmingham, two days before public sector workers strike over their pensions:

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