Category: Uncategorized

Employees preparing to set out of office responses for their summer holiday are being warned to avoid ruining working relationships.
The business experts at Suited Insure are offering their insight for professionals seeking to perfect their summer out of office response.
The desire to rush into holiday mode could hinder people’s professions when they return if their out-of-office message is rude, sarcastic or nonexistent.
Without careful consideration, instant replies could be detrimental for working relationships and could shut down new business or customer enquiries.
This is why experts are offering their advice on what can be considered unprofessional to avoid any business wrong-doings.
Businesses expecting to have lots of employees on annual leave over the summer months should prepare by providing them with an out of office response template.
Jana Kejvalova, from Suited Insure said: “Some people don’t give their out-of-office message any thought, they simply switch off their screens and head on their holiday.
“However, there’s a chance someone may be trying to contact you for new business opportunities or ask an important enquiry and if there isn’t a message there or an alternative email to contact they may view yourself and your company negatively.
“That’s why everybody must give their message some thought and consideration. It’s no good to anyone if the note has no details about when you will be back. The same goes for the opposite approach, too much information is unnecessary.
“The very least you can do is let people know how long you’re going to be away and who they can contact for urgent enquiries in a short, concise and polite message.
“But not everybody follows that format, which is why we’re offering advice on what types of out-of-office messages should be avoided to avoid any miscommunication which could jeopardise your career.”
Read more:
Workers warned over out of office email sins to avoid this summer

The way to a client’s heart is easy to confuse with the way to their wallet. When navigating the political minefield of today’s corporate world, it can be challenging to build healthy relationships with the people you work with.
Have you done enough to please them? Are you doing too much? Did your email actually find them well?
The truth is, working relationships that stand the test of time are built on what we do every single day: create real, human connections with — you guessed it — real humans.
So, if you’re keen to work towards common goals rather than try to outdo one another, you’re in the right place. These are our top three recommendations for client courting strategies that will help to build productive working relationships.
1. Hosting a killer lunch meeting
Whether you’re getting to know new clients, colleagues, or the heralded C-suite, hosting a dressed-down lunch meeting is a great way to break the ice in a corporate setting.
Beyond the confines of a board room or a Zoom call, this is a prime opportunity to openly discuss new campaigns, opportunities for collaboration or upselling. It might seem informal, but nothing’s off the table during a business lunch — except dishes that contain a lot of garlic.
In fact, the food you eat is important. Ideally, you’ll want something that substantiates without disturbing the flow of productive discussions. If you’re hosting the meal, Pasta Evangelists recommend that you “prioritise foods that are easy to eat and minimise the need for utensils or messy finger foods.” Simple crowd-pleasers like sandwiches, wraps, pasta or salads are best, as they “allow your guests to concentrate on the discussion without worrying about food spills or complicated dining etiquette.”
Remember, the healthiest working relationships are built on being personable and cooperative, not going all out to impress with a flashy spread. Nine times out of ten, you’re best off leaving the lobster platters and caviar for another day.
2. Sharing customer testimonials
When you’re still in the wooing stage of getting to know your clients, social proof is everything. This is down to a simple truth — humans like things that other humans like.
According to The Decision Lab, this is known as the bandwagon effect, referring to “our habit of adopting certain behaviours or beliefs because many other people do the same”. So, when your clients see how popular you are with the other businesses you’re partnered up with, they’ll be confident that you’ll do good things for them, too.
This is especially relevant for clients that you have operating in the same niche. For example, if you’re working with a team in the fintech space, showcasing relevant testimonials from your other fintech accounts will bolster your credibility.
To that end, consider leveraging different platforms to spread the word about your good work. As well as talking directly to your clients for feedback, social media experts from Ripl recommend gathering reviews from channels such as:

Yelp
TripAdvisor
Angies List
Trustpilot
Google My Business
Facebook

Then, once you have your testimonials to hand, share the cream of the crop on platforms like Instagram, LinkedIn and Twitter to keep your clients in the loop. This way, you’ll start on the right foot with the people that will one day be writing you those same reviews.
3. Sending thoughtful corporate gifts
We’ve spoken a lot about the importance of building genuine relationships with your clients, rather than buttering them up with needless expenses. So, it might seem counterintuitive to suggest you send them a present in the post. However, a well-considered gift can help to show your appreciation and your commitment currying favour without coming across as superficially generous.
To give a good corporate gift, you’ll need to conduct a little market research — but we’re sure you’re used to that. If you’re sending something for an entire team, explore their social media for clues about common interests or elements of their company culture that you can play up with your present. For example, the B-corp-certified firm that emphasises its environmental stewardship might appreciate sustainable office supplies, decor, or memberships to eco-friendly subscription services. Suitcase Mag has compiled some of their top choices here.
Alternatively, you might choose something that strengthens your own brand association. This can help to create a positive perception of your brand and remind clients of what sets you apart from your competitors. For example, an innovative tech company might send a helpful gadget that they produce to assist with office work. A gift of this genre would provide utility but also highlight the uniqueness of their products — for instance, a smart notepad or under-desk exercise machine.
In time, your clients will see you as an integral part of their team — not a separate entity that they could ever stand to lose. Successful courting will sustain your business, make collaboration easier, and build genuine relationships that everybody stands to benefit from. Who says being ‘corporate’ has to be a slog?
Read more:
Client courting: 3 tactics for building strong business relationships

It’s possible that the UK economy is about to go into freefall. Inflation remains persistently high, and growth remains sluggishly low.

In this article, we look at four ways to buck the trend from leveraging thought leadership PR to buying a competitor.

These four tips will ensure that you continue to grow in a down market, even when everyone else is struggling.
1. Expand into new market
When a downturn hits, it’s easy to batten down the hatches and retreat to what you know best. You double down on your core market, trying to sell more services or products to your existing customers.

But, this can actually end up hurting you rather than helping you. These customers are already likely to be cutting their budgets, and hard sales tactics can end up backfiring.

You might have more success from taking a step back, looking at what other potential customers could benefit from your products and services, and running a completely fresh campaign to reach these new people.

This could be different categories of customers, such as different demographics, or simply customers in different industries or geographies.

When everything is going swimmingly, you probably overlooked these customers because you were happy with how your sales were going. But now you’re starting to struggle, finding new target customers could give you a fresh revenue source.

2. Hunt for an acquisition
A downturn can actually end up turning up new and unexpected opportunities. If you start the downturn in a stronger financial position than your competitors, you may find that these competitors go to the wall or have to cut their businesses dramatically.

This could provide you with a golden opportunity to acquire one of your competitors and their customer base at a very attractive price. On one hand, this might involve you directly approaching your competitor and making the case for the merger.

On the other hand, it might involve you watching our for struggling companies that run the risk of falling into administration that you can buy up for a song. In either case, you might be able to double or even triple the size of your business overnight.

3. Become a thought leader
In a downturn, industries are looking for leadership. It is during difficult times that real leadership is needed. Competitors, customers, and peers are looking for businesses that are leading the discussions about how to act, how to behave, and, most importantly, how to survive.

In fact, during difficult periods, you usually see an uptick in the industry reading sector publications and searching for informative content online. These people are looking for guidance on how to survive and flourish.

As a result, during a downturn, there is a perfect opportunity to lean into thought leadership and content creation to set yourself apart and get your company on the radar of more potential customers.

You can create this content yourself or, if that’s either too difficult or time consuming, you can engage the services of a thought leadership PR agency. These companies will be able to study what your customers are searching for, and craft content in your name to stand out in a crowd thought-leadership marketplace.

4. Invest in advertising
Finally, you might want to consider increasing your investment in advertising.

In a downturn, advertising is usually the first budget line that is cut: in fact, companies usually put the brakes on all ad spending completely, reducing ad spending to zero. That’s understandable. It’s an easy and quick way to save money.

But if everyone is pausing on ad spending too, there could be a big opportunity to have more cut through with advertising than usual. In fact, more than that, if everyone is cutting on ad spending, you’ll usually find that website, magazines, and publications are more willing to cut well-priced deals.

Regardless of what you choose to do, while a downturn can be a difficult and trying time for many businesses, it can also present new and unexpected opportunities.

This article has outlined four left-field ways in which it might be possible for small businesses to keep growing, despite the economic difficulty.
Read more:
4 ways to grow your business in a downturn

Academics from Lancaster University Management School (LUMS) have been awarded a £1.8million grant to accelerate the take up of digital technology amongst UK law and accountancy firms.
The major research project, funded by the Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) and Innovate UK, will be known as Technology in Professional Services (TiPS). It will build on an earlier study which enabled Lancaster researchers to understand the barriers preventing professional services firms from adopting digital technology and artificial intelligence (AI).
The accelerator is part of a programme called Next Generation Professional and Financial Services, funded by Innovate UK and ESRC. The programme aims to help professional service sectors, including accounting and law, and the financial service sectors, including insurance, lending, advisory and payment services, develop and use digital technologies.
The £1.8million grant will allow the research team to put this previous learning into action; providing practical, tailored support to help medium-sized and smaller firms become more productive, develop new services, and to use technology to make services accessible to under-represented individuals and organisations. The research will also provide more general insights into how various forms of innovation adoption can best be accelerated.
The LUMS team will be led by Professor Martin Spring and includes Professors James Faulconbridge and Katy Mason. They will join forces with Professor Tim Vorley, Dr Tzameret Rubin, Dr Francisco Trincado Munoz and Hilary Smyth-Allen from Oxford Brookes University and Derek Southall from Hyperscale Group Limited.
The service industry represents almost 80% of the UK economy. Financial and professional services account for around £190bn of the UK’s ‘Gross Value Added’ (a productivity metric that measures contribution to an economy) and provide in the region of 2.2 million jobs.
However, while digital innovation – and specifically the use of technologies based on AI – promises to unlock yet more value within these UK professions, there are a number of barriers to small and medium sized firms taking on new technologies.
Prof Martin Spring said: “Our research tells us that these challenges sometimes arise from uncertainty about which technology to use and what benefit it would bring, but also due to the traditional roles and identities of professionals working in these sectors. Traditional education, training, regulation and career structures also present barriers when it comes to adopting new technologies.
“With this grant, we will be able to translate our earlier findings into tangible support, to help firms overcome adoption obstacles and harness new technology to help their staff and enhance the services they provide. This major project will provide structured methods and useful resources to help guide law and accountancy firms to overcome any barriers, accelerate their technology adoption and ultimately become more competitive. And the project is especially timely due to the recent interest in technologies such as ChatGPT, which has stimulated awareness of the potential for technologies to be used in knowledge-based work such as law and accountancy.”
By creating an environment where technology adoption is less intimidating and risky, the project aims to guide firms to find the right technological solutions for them. By building confidence in professional firm leaders to embed innovative technologies into workplaces, firms will be able to unlock more potential and further enhance the service provided to customers.
Adopting an inclusive approach, the project will cater for firms at different stages of technology readiness – from beginners to those who already use some technology, but would like to extend its use. Depending on the starting point of the firm, three types of ‘acceleration’ and support will be offered. The methods used will be based on the well-established Innovation Catalyst approach developed at Lancaster.
By working closely with each of the firms and assessing their issues and outcomes, the researchers aim to gather insights into the most successful methods and create ‘roadmaps’ to share more widely for the benefit of the wider sector, working with a range of stakeholders including professional bodies such as the Law Society and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
Richard Alvin, Entrepreneur in Residence at Lancaster University and managing director of Capital Business Media commented on the announcement saying: “This grant has come at a prefect time for the university to be able to capitalise on the recent interest in technologies such as ChatGPT, which has stimulated awareness of the potential for technologies to be used in knowledge-based work.”
Read more:
Lancaster researchers awarded £1.8million to help accelerate technology adoption in law and accountancy firms

70 per cent of staff believe that diversity, equity and inclusion are an afterthought in the financial services industry, according to new research.
As a result, two thirds also claimed that financial services institutions currently don’t do enough with their diversity policies.
The findings were revealed by a poll of decision makers at UK financial institutions and banks, via independent polling agency Censuswide, to measure the current state of diversity and digital skills levels in the banking and finance sectors.
Despite claiming DE&I as a priority, 69 per cent say that their firm doesn’t reflect it in practice.
Over four in five financial institutions have female representation at C-Suite level, with 84 per cent citing that investing in diversity, inclusion and equity would boost the overall productivity of their organisation.
It was also revealed that two thirds believe the sector doesn’t support people returning to work after children, with limited flexibility and parenting schemes available.
Sheila Flavell CBE, Chief Operating Officer for FDM Group, who commissioned the poll, commented: “Diversity, equity and inclusion in the workplace is an important area for businesses to prioritise, providing equal opportunities at all levels. Promoting measures such as access to digital skills training programmes can empower staff development and give them the foundation to take up highly skilled roles in banking, FinTech and financial services.”
“Solving the diversity gap faced by businesses in the financial services sector isn’t an overnight task, but it is important to deliver constant progress towards the goal of creating a diverse workforce. Outlining flexible diversity policies such as remote working options for returners is a primary way to promote inclusion in the workplace. Setting out and maintaining commitments to diversity will begin closing the gap and foster an industry centred on diverse ideas and skillsets.”
Other findings included 88 per cent suggesting that their organisation would benefit from greater diversity in staff recruitment.
Read more:
Diversity is an afterthought in financial services sector

China’s largest car manufacturer SAIC Motor says it will build its first factory in Europe, after sales of its vehicles on the continent jumped.
The state-controlled company – which owns the iconic MG brand – says the new plant will produce electric vehicles.
However, a spokesperson told media that SAIC has not yet decided whether MG models would be made at the site.
MG, which has roots dating back over a century, was made in the UK until production was moved to China in 2016.
On Thursday, an SAIC spokesperson said that the firm was still in the process of securing a site in Europe and finalising other details about the project.
“We have many brands including MG, IM and Maxus. We are still deciding which will be built at the factory,” the spokesperson added.
Sales of its vehicles outside China surged by 40% in the first three months of the year, according to SAIC.
The MG brand accounted for the majority of overseas sales, as the number of the cars sold in Europe more than doubled in the same period, the company said.
The latest announcement comes almost seven years after SAIC halted MG assembling at the Longbridge plant in Birmingham.
In 2016, MG said assembly in the UK was no longer “required” and that cars would arrive in the country “fully built (and) ready for distribution”.
The Longbridge plant built cars including MG and the original Mini. It was set up in 1906 and survived World Wars One and Two.
In the years that followed, the site fought off post-war economic depression and the emergence of the motor industry abroad.
It also recovered from strike action, mergers, takeovers and drops in its share value.
Production at the plant was halted after MG Rover collapsed in 2005. The brand was eventually bought by SAIC.
In 2011, the MG6 was launched. It was the first MG car in 16 years to be assembled at Longbridge.
The five-seater vehicle was designed in the UK but its parts were made in China.
Chinese carmakers – including SAIC, Geely and Great Wall – have seen their market shares grow in recent years.
Exports from China have been boosted by the demand for electric vehicles and sales to Russia as many Western countries imposed sanctions on Moscow after the invasion of Ukraine.
China exported more than a million vehicles in the first three months of this year, official figures show. As a result it overtook Japan as the world’s biggest exporter of cars.
As well as its manufacturing plants in China, SAIC also has production facilities in Thailand, Indonesia, India and Pakistan.
The Chinese firm, which has joint ventures with German motor giant Volkswagen and US car maker General Motors, sold 5.3 million vehicles globally last year.
Europe was its largest overseas market with more than 100,000 vehicles sold, according to SAIC.
Read more:
Chinese owner of iconic MG car brand to build Europe plant to keep up with demand

With the arrival of 2023, e-commerce is at an all-time high. Innovations in online retail are constantly being made and new opportunities for merchants to reach customers have emerged to meet the growing e-commerce demand around the world.
As we look ahead at what’s to come in this dynamic sphere, it’s essential to understand the top trends that will shape where e-commerce goes next. In this blog post, we’ll discuss some of these emerging trends in detail – from AI and machine learning advancements to enhanced customer service initiatives.
Read on to learn more about some of the most innovative trends that today’s leading companies are prioritizing when it comes to selling their products online!
Rise of Voice Commerce
Gone are the days of typing in a search bar or scrolling through endless product pages online. With the rise of voice commerce, shopping has become as simple as speaking your requests out loud. This cutting-edge technology allows consumers to effortlessly browse and purchase products, hands-free.
It’s no wonder why more and more retailers, big and small, are implementing voice-commerce capabilities into their platforms. From ordering groceries to finding the perfect outfit, voice commerce is revolutionizing the way we shop and making the entire experience more streamlined and convenient than ever before.
Headless Commerce
Headless commerce is a game-changer for e-commerce businesses. This cutting-edge technology allows retailers to quickly and easily create customized experiences that are tailored to their customer’s needs and preferences.
From personalized product recommendations based on past browsing history, to live chat functionality and more – this innovative approach to retailing enables merchants to provide an incredibly seamless customer experience.
As the demand for customized online shopping rises, headless commerce technology is quickly becoming a must-have for any business looking to stay competitive in this rapidly changing industry. Headless commerce offers a range of benefits that traditional e-commerce solutions simply can’t match. Plus, it’s much easier to deploy and maintain than other e-commerce solutions.
Increase in Online and Social Shopping
With the rise of technology and the ease of access to the internet, it’s easy to see why online and social shopping has seen such a remarkable increase in popularity. These platforms offer a way for individuals to browse through multiple options at once, compare prices and reviews, and even receive personalized recommendations based on their past search history.
Additionally, with the current pandemic, more people are turning to online shopping as a way to stay safe while still being able to make purchases. With the convenience and accessibility of online and social shopping, it’s likely that this trend will only continue to grow in the future.
Growing Demand for Subscription Services
As we move towards a more digital world, it’s no surprise that we’re seeing a growing demand for subscription services. With so much content available at our fingertips, it’s becoming increasingly important to find ways to access it all without breaking the bank.
Subscription services offer a convenient and cost-effective solution, allowing us to enjoy everything from music and movies to books and beauty products for a monthly fee. And with the rise of streaming platforms like Netflix and Spotify, it’s clear that this trend isn’t going away anytime soon.
In fact, we can expect to continue to see even more subscription services popping up in the coming years as businesses adapt to meet the changing needs of consumers.
Increased Focus on Personalization
In today’s fast-paced world, personalization has become increasingly important. With more and more people demanding products and services tailored to their individual needs, businesses are feeling the pressure to deliver the goods. Whether you are in the retail, hospitality, or healthcare industry, it’s crucial to provide your customers with a personalized experience.
This means taking the time to understand their preferences, needs, and interests, and using that information to create a unique and customized experience. By doing so, you can build stronger relationships with your customers, increase customer loyalty, and ultimately drive business growth.
Growing Popularity of Mobile Shopping Experiences
Convenience is key, and the growing popularity of mobile shopping experiences reflects this trend. With just a few taps on a smartphone, consumers can browse and purchase products from anywhere, at any time. In fact, statistics show that mobile commerce sales are on the rise globally, and it’s not hard to see why.
Mobile shopping allows for an uninterrupted browsing experience, and many retailers are now offering customized recommendations and deals to their mobile shoppers. The ease of use and accessibility of mobile shopping is revolutionizing the way we shop, and it appears that this trend is here to stay.
Not only that, but the growing popularity of mobile-friendly websites has made it easier than ever for customers to shop on their phones. In fact, many businesses are now offering an “app-like” experience without requiring people to download an app. This helps to create a seamless and convenient purchasing process that will continue to drive growth in the e-commerce market.
Utilization of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning Technologies
As we move into the future, technology continues to advance at a rapid pace. One area that has seen significant growth and development is the utilization of artificial intelligence and machine learning technologies. These powerful tools are transforming the way we live, work, and interact with the world around us.
From voice-activated virtual assistants to advanced data analysis, AI and machine learning are being used to solve complex problems and improve our daily lives in ways we never thought possible. As we continue to push the boundaries of what is possible with these technologies, we can expect to see even more exciting innovations in the years to come.
Overall, e-commerce companies need to recognize that consumers’ expectations are continually rising, and being able to provide a personalized and enjoyable customer experience is the only way to stay ahead of the competition.
For this reason, the trends mentioned in this blog post—including the rise of voice commerce, increased focus on personalization, the growing popularity of mobile shopping experiences, and utilization of artificial intelligence and machine-learning technologies—will become increasingly important in 2023.
Consequently, businesses should start investing now in tools that help them keep up with customer demand and maximize their sales potential. In conclusion, understanding upcoming trends like these will be essential for marketers who hope to remain relevant in the years to come.
Read more:
The Top Trends in E-commerce 2023

Supermarket giant Iceland is to close even more stores following a string of closures this year.
The frozen foods specialist has already axed 11 shops this year as big brands look to cut costs amid rampant inflation and the cost of living crisis.
Now the budget chain has revealed it was be shutting down a further five stores between now and September, bringing the total closures to 16 in 2023.
Among the latest to be axed is Iceland’s Cowdenbeath High Street store in Fife, Scotland, will bring down the shutters for good on Saturday, August 12, according to The Sun.
This will be followed by the retailers site in Llanelli, Wales, on Saturday, September 2.
Then, on Saturday, September 16, Iceland’s store in the Market Shopping Centre, Crewe will close.
Also being chopped are the retailer’s sites in St David’s Place, Swansea, and Grange Road, Birkenhead, which are closing on July 29 and September 16 respectively.
Iceland currently has about 500 stores across the UK.
But as the cost-of-living crisis continues to grip the nation, supermarket executives have been forced to rein on spending.
This year has already seen Iceland shutting shops in Hitchin town centre and Beccles branch in Suffolk, which closed on June 17.
Branches in Bromsgrove, Basingstoke and Rhyl have also closed for good, as well as stores in Newport, Berwick and Hexham.
The supermarket, which has opened 200 stores in the last ten years, says any closures it makes are part of its continual review of its operations.
Richard Walker, executive chairman of Iceland Foods, told MailOnline: ‘Across Iceland and The Food Warehouse we have a portfolio of over UK 1,000 stores, and our retail estate has grown by nearly 200 stores over the last ten years.
‘We typically open more than 20 new stores each year, creating many new jobs and contributing to the growth of local economies.
‘At the same time, we continually review the retail experience offered to our customers and have always made a small number of store closures every year, as local shopping patterns change and shop leases expire.
‘The business is currently trading very strongly, achieving record market shares.’
A number of major UK retailers and banks have closed high street branches in swathes so far in 2023. Big-name brands including Marks & Spencer , Boots and New Look have closed stores in 2023.
Several retailers are also set to close branches this month, including Argos and Poundland.
Some branches will be replaced by new stores in different locations while others are set to leave the high street forever.
The news comes as research by the ONS suggests food prices are falling more slowly in the UK than most industrialised economies, mainly due to a reliance on food imports.
The March rate of food price inflation was 21.2 per cent in Germany, versus 19.1 per cent in the UK, 16.9 per cent in France, 13.2 per cent in Italy, 9.7 per cent in Canada, 8.3 per cent in the USA and 8 per cent in Japan.
Iceland store closures this year
Mill Lane, Bromsgrove – closed on February 25
Chineham Shopping Centre in Basingstoke – closed on February 25
White Rose Centre, Rhyl – closed on March 14
South Street, Newport, Isle of Wight – closed on March 25
St Catherine’s Place, Bedminster, Bristol – closed on March 25
Deiniol Centre, Bangor – closed on March 27
Newport, South Wales – closed on April 22
Marygate, Berwick- closed on April 22
Flint, Wales – closed on May 27
Hitchin, North Hertfordshire – closed on June 10
Beccles, Suffolk – closed on June 17
Swansea, Wales – closing on July 29
Cowdenbeath, Fife – closing August 12
Llanelli, South Wales – closing September 2
Crewe, Cheshire – closing September 16
Birkenhead, Merseyside – closing September 26
Read more:
Iceland will shut another five stores after closing more than half a dozen already this year

Michael Gove has said people “expect” council staff to be working a full five-day week, amid a row over the government telling a local authority to cease a four-day week trial.
The levelling up secretary has said he is a “strong believer” in the rule that council employees should be working Monday to Friday.
It comes after ministers ordered the Liberal Democrat-run South Cambridgeshire District Council to end its experiment with a four-day week.
Speaking at the Local Government Association (LGA) conference in Bournemouth, Gove said: “I believe very strongly, as indeed does the minister for local government, that when taxpayers are paying for services, they need to have people working a full five-day week.
“It seems to me for every penny paid in council tax, we deserve, all of us, to see those in local government working a full working week for those who are council taxpayers as well.
“I’m a strong believer that a five-day working week is what so many other citizens are facing, and they need to work five days in order to be able to pay their council tax and other needs.
“A five-day working week seems to me to be what we should expect of people in public service who are having their wages paid by those council taxpayers.”
Gove’s remarks come after the LGA warned councils face a £3bn funding gap just to maintain existing levels of services, amid a spiralling inflation crisis.
Pete Marland, resources board chairman, said: “Inflation, the national living wage, energy costs and increasing demand are all adding billions onto councils just to keep standing still.”
A government spokesman said ministers would look at council funding ahead of next year’s budget “as we do every year to ensure councils can continue to deliver vital services”.
They added: “We have also provided multi-year certainty to local government, outlining spending over the next two years to allow councils to plan ahead with confidence.”
Read more:
Michael Gove: Public ‘expect’ council staff to work full five-day week