No rush to drink up as the government slams the brakes on reversing 24-hour licensing, according to The Times. Apparently the Gord prefers you reflect on his recent "successes" whilst inebriated. The average council tax bill will reach £1,380 this year, with a corresponding increase in services while funding… read more…

News comes via The Guardian of the Government's new approach to getting immigrants to integrate: Tell councils and agencies to stop translating official forms and documents, and they'll magically learn English. Hooray! Problem solved!… read more…

Intriguing gossip reaches the Westmonster lugholes regarding last night's "most influential people in local government event," hosted by the Local Government Chronicle at County Hall. In attendance were the brightest of the local government glitterati, although curiously the Secretary of State for the Department for Communities and Local Government the Right… read more…

Those whom the Gord doesn't like very much die young. Either that or get the immigration brief. One of the two. Poor ol' Hazel Blears has been on the wrong end of a skewering today from Humphrys over the cost of immigration to local councils, related to the fact that in Slough… read more…