Council Going Broke Because of Bad Management, Watchdog Says

Published on December 28, 2023

Bad management, rather than a shortage of money, is the reason why councils have been effectively going bust, according to the local government watchdog. Lord Morse, chairman of the Office for Local Government (Oflog) said on Wednesday that councils “have to be realistic” about how much support they can expect to get from Westminster. The remarks came after three councils issue section 114 notices this year, with more councils warning they may have to do so within one or two years. Local authorities can’t go bankrupt the way a company can, but a council’s chief financial officer is legally required to issue a section 114 notice if they believe the council’s spending will exceed its income in a given year....

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