In the latest issue:
Councils face £7bn funding gap
Councils in England are facing a £7 billion funding black hole within three years, according to new LGA analysis.
£2m homes tax ‘damages local accountability’
Councils should not be used to run a national tax for high-value properties that could be expensive for them to administer, confusing for residents and damaging to local accountability, the LGA has warned.
Temporary accommodation costs ‘up tenfold’
Council spending on temporary accommodation has increased by 1,077 per cent in real terms over the past 13 years, new analysis from the LGA reveals.
New ministers for local government
Angela Rayner has returned as Secretary of State at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government (MHCLG), in new Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s first Cabinet.
Why I’m optimistic about the future of our cities
For those in local government, it can often feel as if all we ever talk about are challenges, whether those be funding pressures, housing waiting lists or strains on social care.
Changing hands
There were 53 by-elections in this latest crop of results with 24 (45 per cent) seeing a seat change hands.