Public Finance Focus: the Local Government Settlement and forecasts for 2024

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01/30/24 • 19 min

What happens next? Is the question every council leader is asking right now.

Despite not one but two financial deals for local government, the year ahead is set to be even tougher. Decisions are being made about which services to cut and for some whether s114 is the only option.

So in this very special podcast, we discuss how local authorities can ensure not only they balance the books but also protect the important projects and services that will support their communities for years to come. After all, local government needs to be there long after a one-year settlement.

It's going to be a very busy year - and one that is likely to include a general election. So we've taken the opportunity to look at some of the other issues that could come up over the next few months.

In this fascinating discussion, joining Chris Smith, Editor Public Finance are two experienced influencers in the sector.

Dan Corry is Chief Executive of the think tank, New Philanthropy Capital. And he was previously head of the Number 10 Policy Unit for British prime minister Gordon Brown.

Justin Galliford, CEO of Norse Group (https://norsegroup.co.uk/), which is owned by Norfolk County Council.

What is it like to be in the Treasury dealing with the demands from council leaders? How can an organisation under pressure meet short-term and long term demands? And is there some politics going on here?

There's some great insights to all this and more...

This episode is sponsored by Norse Group

What happens next? Is the question every council leader is asking right now.

In this fascinating discussion, joining Chris Smith, Editor Public Finance are two experienced influencers in the sector.

Dan Corry is Chief Executive of the think tank, New Philanthropy Capital. And he was previously head of the Number 10 Policy Unit for British prime minister Gordon Brown.

Justin Galliford, CEO of Norse Group (https://norsegroup.co.uk/), which is owned by Norfolk County Council.

There's some great insights to all this and more...

This episode is sponsored by Norse Group

Previous Episode

UK Autumn Statement special focus

The Autumn Statement was critical for public sector finances, businesses, the UK public and politics. And hanging over the chancellor’s plans is a general election next year. What’s the real impact going to be? To tell us are two well-placed influencers in the sector.
Chris Smith, Editor Public Finance
Dan Corry is Chief Executive of the think tank, New Philanthropy Capital. And he was previously head of the Number 10 Policy Unit for British prime minister Gordon Brown.
Justin Galliford, CEO of Norse Group, which is owned by Norfolk County Council.
Our latest podcast episode there’s a tribute to former chancellor Alistair Darling, 100 measures, what should have been in the statement plus why US taxes and Scandinavian spending don’t add up. Will the next government stick to the Treasury forecasts?

Next Episode

The Road Ahead, the reality of delivery

Councils have now set budgets for the coming year. Despite extra funding from central government, every local authority has a gap that must be filled by budget cuts or spending reserves.
There's also uncertainty because we are in both a general election year and many local authorities will be holding elections in May. We'll be looking in detail on how councils can navigate a way through the coming months. What options do they have?
Joining us to give expert insights are Joanne Pitt CIPFA's lead for local government policy and Jonathan Werran, chief executive of Localis. Also sharing insights on potential local authority responses is Justin Galliford, chief executive of Norse Group.
A crux issue has been deciding what counts as a statutory service. We’ve got some clear advice on how to come to a definition on this that works for councils. There’s also advice on audit and how to deliver vital services. There’s also thoughts on navigating elections plus what the government needs to think about. It’s a packed – and very useful edition.
This podcast is in association with Norse Group.
https://norsegroup.co.uk/