In today’s newsletter: A Guardian series examines the causes and effects of councils going broke
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Good morning. More English councils have declared effective bankruptcy in the last 18 months than did so in the previous 30 years. One in five council bosses say it is likely they will follow suit by March next year. Local authorities have faced severe financial difficulties for the last decade or more – but now, reeling from the same inflationary pressures that are pushing the cost of living up for everyone, they are facing a tipping point.
As John Harris noted earlier this month, the route to this state of affairs is not mysterious: it is the result of a 40% real-terms cut in central funding between 2010 and 2020. This week, a Guardian series, Councils in crisis, has examined the fallout from that situation. Richard Partington has already reported that a £2bn hidden tax rise will be landing within a matter of months. Now he reveals that councils are to be encouraged to sell publicly owned buildings and other assets worth up to £23bn.
Pakistan | Former prime minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years in jail in a corruption case, just a day after he was given a 10-year sentence for leaking state secrets. Khan, who was toppled from power in 2022, has claimed that the mounting cases against him are politically motivated.
Health | The NHS is in such a dire state the next government should declare it a national emergency, experts are warning, as it emerged that record numbers of patients are being denied timely cancer treatment. The BMJ’s commission on the future of the NHS concluded that “the health service is in crisis, stretched beyond breaking point”.
Northern Ireland | Sinn Féin’s leader has said a united Ireland is “within touching distance” as the party prepares to claim the post of Northern Ireland first minister for the first time. Mary Lou McDonald’s comments came after a deal between the Democratic Unionist party and the UK government that is expected to restore power sharing at Stormont.
Labour | Keir Starmer’s office has begun polling British Muslim voters amid growing concern in senior Labour ranks about the damage done to their core vote by the row over the party’s position on the Middle East. Senior party figures fear that if the polls narrow, the problem could mean losing more than a dozen seats.
Elon Musk | A judge in the US state of Delaware has ruled in favour of investors who challenged Elon Musk’s $56bn (£44bn) Tesla pay package as excessive, concluding that the company’s board never questioned whether the arrangement was necessary to retain the billionaire chief executive. The package was by far the largest ever compensation deal for a company executive.
Continue reading…In today’s newsletter: A Guardian series examines the causes and effects of councils going broke• Sign up here for our daily newsletter, First EditionGood morning. More English councils have declared effective bankruptcy in the last 18 months than did so in the previous 30 years. One in five council bosses say it is likely they will follow suit by March next year. Local authorities have faced severe financial difficulties for the last decade or more – but now, reeling from the same inflationary pressures that are pushing the cost of living up for everyone, they are facing a tipping point.As John Harris noted earlier this month, the route to this state of affairs is not mysterious: it is the result of a 40% real-terms cut in central funding between 2010 and 2020. This week, a Guardian series, Councils in crisis, has examined the fallout from that situation. Richard Partington has already reported that a £2bn hidden tax rise will be landing within a matter of months. Now he reveals that councils are to be encouraged to sell publicly owned buildings and other assets worth up to £23bn.Pakistan | Former prime minister Imran Khan has been sentenced to 14 years in jail in a corruption case, just a day after he was given a 10-year sentence for leaking state secrets. Khan, who was toppled from power in 2022, has claimed that the mounting cases against him are politically motivated.Health | The NHS is in such a dire state the next government should declare it a national emergency, experts are warning, as it emerged that record numbers of patients are being denied timely cancer treatment. The BMJ’s commission on the future of the NHS concluded that “the health service is in crisis, stretched beyond breaking point”.Northern Ireland | Sinn Féin’s leader has said a united Ireland is “within touching distance” as the party prepares to claim the post of Northern Ireland first minister for the first time. Mary Lou McDonald’s comments came after a deal between the Democratic Unionist party and the UK government that is expected to restore power sharing at Stormont.Labour | Keir Starmer’s office has begun polling British Muslim voters amid growing concern in senior Labour ranks about the damage done to their core vote by the row over the party’s position on the Middle East. Senior party figures fear that if the polls narrow, the problem could mean losing more than a dozen seats.Elon Musk | A judge in the US state of Delaware has ruled in favour of investors who challenged Elon Musk’s $56bn (£44bn) Tesla pay package as excessive, concluding that the company’s board never questioned whether the arrangement was necessary to retain the billionaire chief executive. The package was by far the largest ever compensation deal for a company executive. Continue reading…