London Quangos spend £5.6 billion
A report from London Councils, the umbrella group that represents the London boroughs, looks at the efficiency and democratic accountability os… Read more »
Tory-run East Staffordshire Council to freeze council tax
Hot on the heels of similar news from Somerset this morning, Conservative-controlled East Staffordshire Council will be freezing its council… Read more »
Doncaster cuts Council Tax by 3% – after a challenging month for the Mayor.
The news from Doncaster has been pretty grim of late. A report has shown that an incident last April of… Read more »
Two council by-election results from yesterday
This morning's good news from Harlow is tempered by two less than joyous by-election results from yesterday: Taunton Lyngford ward,… Read more »
Liberal Democrat councillor in Harlow defects to the Conservatives
Update: Here is Cllr Linda Pailing being welcomed int the Tory fold by Harlow Council leader, Andrew Johnson, shadow business… Read more »
Somerset freeze Council Tax
Somerset County Council, which was gained by the Conservatives last year, has announced a Council Tax freeze. Unusually they have… Read more »
Political opponents block London Assembly Tories’ attempt to cut all political groups’ budgets
David Cameron and the party nationally regularly speak about the need to reduce the cost of politics, so it is… Read more »
Conservatives may give councils the power to set benefits
Interesting report in The Guardian that the Shadow Treasury team are in talks with Conservative councils about handing over to… Read more »
Labour’s one party state in Newham faces challenge
Newham has 54 Labour councillors and no Conservative ones. When it comes to drumming up canvassers for a byelection this… Read more »
How should councils cope with Freedom of Information requests?
On Monday there was a piece in this section by Mark Wallace of the Taxpayers Alliance about all the Freedom… Read more »
Hounslow freezes Council Tax for fourth year running
Congratulations to my neighbouring borough of Hounslow for freezing their Council Tax for the fourth year in a row. This… Read more »
Mayor of Camden investigated for benefits fraud
The Mayor of Camden, Cllr Omar Faruque Ansari, has been questioned at a police station by investigators from the Department of Work… Read more »
Demand for more Grammar schools hasn’t gone away
Nick Seaton, of the Campaign for Real Education, says the response to the draft education manifesto shows there is still… Read more »
Tory councillors pull out of the EPP
After some considerable dismay last week at the news that Conservative councillors have remained in the European People's Party Group… Read more »
Call to give directly elected Mayors extra powers
The New Local Government Network has called for directly elected Mayors fro big cities to be given extra powers. The… Read more »