Latest editorial
A general view of Council House in Birmingham, September 19, 2023
LOCAL authorities in England are facing a funding crisis which could threaten essential statutory services to the most vulnerable, the Local Government Association (LGA) has warned.
The councils’ national body said local authorities were “being pushed to the financial brink” after four decades of funding cuts by the central government.
Thirty councils have had to be given Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) by the government to head off bankruptcy in 2025-26, said the LGA — up from 18 last year.
LOTTE COLLETT welcomes the arrival of a new party for the left, a vehicle for councils to finally fight for progressive policies on housing, green spaces and public facilities, rather than administering cuts and misery from central government
With turnout plummeting and faith in Parliament collapsing, BERT SCHOUWENBURG explains how radical local government reform — including devolved taxation and removal of party politics from town halls — could restore power to communities currently ignored by profit-obsessed MPs
