Town hall leaders condemn ‘ill-thought-out’ plan to merge English councils Survey reveals senior officials think changes will do little to address local authorities’ dire financial crisis The Guardian - UK · Mar 6, 2025
Survey of senior figures reveals doubts about the impact of ‘super councils’ Officials and senior councillors are more positive about the current Government’s approach, but concerns over finances persist. Evening Standard · Mar 6, 2025
Shona Robison warned against imposing another council tax freeze in Scottish Budget Scotland’s Finance Secretary has been warned against imposing another council tax freeze. In a letter from Holyrood’s Local Government… The National (Scotland) · Nov 7, 2024
Budget Crisis Forces UK's Birmingham Towards Service Cuts, Tax Hikes Councillors in the UK's second-largest city Birmingham were poised Tuesday to approve tax hikes and deep cuts to public services that could include axed arts funding and reduced rubbish collection, as the city fights to avoid bankruptcy. International Business Times · Mar 5, 2024
The Guardian view on local government finance: a crisis that corrodes democracy Editorial: Westminster cannot continue to ignore the scale of social devastation caused by the chronic underfunding of council services The Guardian - UK · Feb 28, 2024
Nearly one in 10 English councils expect to go bust in next year, survey finds Annual poll of council leaders and top managers finds near-total collapse in confidence in their financial viability The Guardian - UK · Feb 28, 2024
Councils on the brink: London authorities on edge of going broke warn services are at risk We’re on financial cliff edge, say council leaders as cash crisis deepens Evening Standard · Feb 28, 2024
Nearly a quarter of Scottish councils warn of bankruptcy amid cuts to services ALMOST one quarter of Scottish councils have warned of effective bankruptcy as every single council plans spending cuts to services. The National (Scotland) · Dec 13, 2023
UK election watchdog issues stark warning on voter ID laws The changes to the way polls are run will pile pressure on already stretched electoral staff The Independent UK · Sep 13, 2023
Voter ID could lead to ‘serious disruption’ at the next general election The changes to the way polls are run will pile pressure on already stretched electoral staff. The Independent UK · Sep 12, 2023
Call for talks to safeguard jobs amid ‘tough decisions’ at Birmingham council The council does not have the money to pay off an equal pay liability, estimated to be more than £1 billion. The Independent UK · Sep 6, 2023
Local election results times: Hour-by-hour guide to when key battles will be announced The 230 councils being contested in the local elections were last up for grabs in the dying days of Theresa May's premiership in 2019, when the Tories suffered major losses at the ballot box Daily Mirror · Apr 30, 2023
Majority of English councils plan more cuts at same time as maximum tax rises Survey lays bare precarious state of local finances and increasingly ‘desperate’ measures to stay solvent The Guardian - UK · Mar 7, 2023