The London Finance Commission’s recommendations are a sensible blueprint for local government finance in the capital and beyond. They could help stoke a formidable movement for change Read more
Local government finance appears ever-changing, with ministers dictating reforms to grants, business rates, council tax and benefits. Perhaps it’s time to establish an expert panel to review the financial implications of Whitehall policies that affect town halls Read more
Chief financial officers have a crucial role to play as the public sector copes with budget cuts and rising demand. So what should they be doing? Read more
Having published the Whole of Government Accounts for the first time last year, George Osborne should be bold and refer to these figures in his Budget rather than the traditional numbers from the National Accounts Read more
Councils are clearly facing a difficult time, but CIPFA’s chief executive suggests that good financial progress has been made and there is reason for cautious optimism Read more
CIPFA’s chief executive calls for a concerted effort from accountancy institutes, firms and individual accountants to respond to the current global crisis by tackling poor public financial management Read more
As the full extent of the sovereign debt crisis becomes clear, so does the urgent need for governments to adopt accurate and transparent accounting practices Read more...
As followers of Public Finance know, politics is an endlessly fascinating and entertaining business. Just occasionally, however, it does have a tendency to veer self-destructively into the territory of ‘a plague on all their houses’. Read more...
As the public sector struggles to cut its spending, chief financial officers need to ensure budgets are realistic and to double-check every risk Read more...
I have been having a few difficulties with my bank recently. I am a telephone banker and find that polite call centre staff can handle most of my routine business without too much difficulty. But the moment we step outside of pretty narrow tramlines, the service regularly judders to a spectacular halt. Read more...
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