Exclusive: Impact of austerity cannot be undone by end of parliament despite above-inflation funding, analysis finds Councils in England will still be poorer by the end of this parliament than they were in 2010 despite Labour’s funding increases, according to analysis by the Institute for Government (IfG). Funding cuts from 2010 to 2019 were so severe that they left gaps that could not be filled even by five years of above-inflation increases, leaving local authorities increasingly reliant on emergency funding and capable of only providing legally mandated services, the report shows. Continue reading...

As Waymo announces that it will be bringing its “fully autonomous ride-hailing service across the pond” from next year, it’s worth looking at what the benefits and risks might be. The company says …