Christmas and New Year Message
By definition Christmas messages should be about a new start, they should be joyous and full of hope for what the next year may bring. Regrettably it is difficult to[…]
Richard Harbord
Choppy waters: How to be an s151 at a troubled authority
Northamptonshire County Council recently announced the appointment of its fourth finance director in two years. Richard Harbord looks at the challenges of taking over financial leadership at an authority in[…]
Central reservation: Why Brexit paralysis in Whitehall is ruining councils’ financial planning
With Brexit steering the Treasury’s aim for a three-year Spending Review off the road, Whitehall’s strong grip on council finance leaves authorities impotent, writes Richard Harbord. For my birthday this[…]
A busy and unpromising timetable for local authority finances
Richard Harbord looks at the large amount of central government measures affecting councils due over the next 13 months. Time is running out, the current uncertainty damaging, and the prospects[…]
Why ministers are deaf to local government warnings on finance
Realpolitik means the local government sector shouldn’t hold its breath waiting for central government to help it out of its financial predicament, says Richard Harbord. Life is very unfair! The[…]
Is this the end of outsourcing?
There won’t be many still working in local government who will remember the beginnings of outsourcing in 1980. It was one of the first moves of the new Thatcher government[…]
Richard Harbord: Commercialisation ushers in significant governance challenges
Governance is about the way in which various parts of government organisations work together in a seamless way. Good governance ensures they work together to ensure that the best possible[…]
Richard Harbord: A resounding status quo for policy after local elections
Despite all the hype, the major political parties were satisfied with elections that did little to change the status quo. It also means little likelihood of policy change, writes Richard[…]
Richard Harbord: A spring statement with little to offer local government
The chancellor Philip Hammond attempted to put some optimism in his latest statement but, says Richard Harbord, there was little to lift the gloom for council finances. This was Philip[…]
Richard Harbord: Section 114s challenge reluctant members to address budgets
Section 114s were introduced to beef up the powers of the s151 officers. But they can be a “career limiting move” and potentially indicate a failure of “cooperative working” inside[…]
