Press Release: Abolition of ultra vires crucial to managing local budget cuts
The Government’s new General Power of Competence for local authorities will only work successfully if councils are given clear legal freedom according to this new report.

Article: Scanning Financial Horizons for Local Government

Nick Hope, eGov monitor
The New Local Government Network (NLGN) has just completed a major project that forecasts the overall decline in local authority income, highlights the vulnerability of different service areas to cuts and considers how the impact of funding reductions on services can be managed and minimised.

Article: Who will tackle failure now the Audit Commission is being axed?

Simon Parker, guardian.co.uk
With the demise of the commission, councils now need to develop their own systems for improving services, particularly by empowering local people to challenge underperformance.

Article: An LGPS alternative

Tom Symons, Public Finance
The unique structure of the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) presents an important choice to councils: reduce deficit recovery contributions to pay for front-line services now, or preserve greater inter-generational equity in the repayment of the LGPS’s historic deficit?

Press Release: Greater flexibility in local government pension management could help protect front-line services
This new report suggests setting a longer time horizon for the closure of the Local Government Pension Schemes’ (LGPS) historic deficit, which would in turn enable councils to use the money to protect front-line services.