Monthly Archives: October 2011

An alternative to the OBR?

31 October 2011 | Colin Talbot

We await the Office for Budget Responsibility’s view of the public finances. But what is really needed is a Parliamentary Budget Office Read more

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Riots, rhetoric and rumours

31 October 2011 | Claudia Wood

Giving courts greater discretion when docking benefits from those convicted of rioting is  basically a sensible move. But the detail has been lost amidst a tide of rhetoric about welfare scroungers Read more...

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Out is no longer in

28 October 2011 | Mike Thatcher

You don’t have to be the governor of the Bank of England to appreciate that the current financial crisis is the worst since the Great Depression of the 1930s. Read more...

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Education spending: all shall not have prizes

26 October 2011 | Conor Ryan

With education spending facing its largest cuts since the 1950s, the pupil premium is one of the few areas to gain. But how shall we measure its success? Read more

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Grow your own business rate income

26 October 2011 | Ross Ingham

Current proposals to relocalise business rates will create a direct link between economic performance and additional revenue for local authorities. So how can they maximise the opportunities?
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Affordable homes: a five-point plan

26 October 2011 | Andy Hull

The government’s new Housing Strategy, due out next month, must do a lot more than tinker with the system if it is going to address our massive housing crisis Read more...

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Community Budget pilots: turbulence ahead?

25 October 2011 | Kate Blatchford

The new wave of Community Budget pilots will need a lot more drive from central government if the ‘whole area’ approach is going to catch on
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Business rate retention: best when it’s boldest

24 October 2011 | Andrew Carter

The LGRR presents a historic opportunity to devolve some level of local financing back into the hands of local authorities. London, in particular, stands to gain Read more...

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CSR: a missed opportunity?

21 October 2011 | Richard Smith

One year into the Comprehensive Spending Review and many public bodies still do not have an effective strategy to deal with the new era of financial constraint. Simply salami slicing budgets isn’t going to work Read more

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Job jitters for public sector

20 October 2011 | Paul Cleal

Public sector job losses are taking place much faster than expected, leading to reduced demand in the economy. Ministers will have to use reforms set out in the Open public services white paper to mitigate the effects of further cuts Read more

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