Another Hunt budget
Chancellor Jeremy Hunt recently published his spring budget, including further help with energy costs and extended provision of childcare.
Missing from the budget was any statement on public sector pay or any big announcements on the NHS. However, funding was announced for pot holes, which will be welcome for many in local government and the public at large.
Achieving Net Zero
Rishi Sunak and his government have reached the three-month mark, longer than his predecessor, and the current priority is tackling the cost-of-living crisis.
Meanwhile, many across the public sector are striking over pay and working conditions on a scale that hasn’t been seen for decades.
Cloud services for the public sector
The latest G-Cloud agreement has been live for just over a month now and will run for a year.
With the introduction of a fourth lot and improved terms and conditions, G-Cloud 13 offers all public sector organisations a simple and compliant way to purchase cloud-based services.
Another day, another government
In our last edition, we were talking about Liz Truss and her new government. However, following a series of dramatic events, she only lasted 45 days in the job.
Lots to do for the new government
A lot has changed in government over the last month - a new prime minister, new cabinet and a new monarch following the sad death of Her Majesty The Queen.
Many of the new appointees to government are at least the third to hold the position this year alone. In the last ten years, the UK has seen five different home secretaries, seven individual foreign secretaries and six separate chancellors, with the last three prime ministers all resigning before the end of their term.
It’s fair to say that things haven’t exactly been plain sailing of late in the rudderless ship of government. After the parliamentary party lanced its boil, regular members now get to choose between current foreign secretary Truss or ex-chancellor Sunak, neither of whom have thus far achieved anything tangible in their bleak ministerial careers. Nothing gets done while they duke it out, and whoever wins will have a mountain to climb to regain trust.
In this issue, we take another look at the Procurement Bill and the potential it has change the way the public sector works.
Time to put people at the centre of policy
This March issue of Government Business has a number of varied features which look at the role of placing people at the centre of decision making.
Firstly I would like to signpost you to our interview with Councillor Phélim Mac Cafferty on page 15 in which the leader of Brighton & Hove City Council discusses bringing together people and projects to tackle the climate emergency, as well as local food strategies and reducing transport-related carbon emissions in the city.
Public health services at risk, say council leaders
The government has announced that England will fully return to Plan A on 27 January thanks to the success of the booster programme.
This means the advise for working from how is removed, face coverings will no longer be required by law in any setting, although public health guidance will remain in place, and venues and events will no longer be required by law to use the NHS Covid Pass.
Numbers that make for difficult reading
The past few weeks have produced a number of news stories that present difficult reading for the government.
All local authorities with children’s services across the UK have been informed of the government’s intention to temporarily mandate the National Transfer Scheme, after record numbers of migrants attempted the journey across the English Channel in recent months, culminating in the deaths of 27 people at the end of November.
A name change for local government department
Following a cabinet reshuffle last month, the MHCLG was rebranded as the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, with Michael Gove at the helm.
Local action on tackling climate change
It is now less than 100 days until representatives from around the world will gather in Glasgow for Cop26
Prime Minister Boris Johnson has been accused of missing in action, Cop26 President Alok Sharma has been found to have flown to 30 countries in the past seven months, which, when combined, stretches to 200,000 air miles, and Allegra Stratton, Johnson’s climate change spokesperson, has openly discussed why she chooses to drive a ‘third-hand’ diesel Volkswagen Golf.
