Cheered up by the Chickens
Despite a flat tyre, Mark Oaten is still pumped up for a week’s Westminster and constituency business
Mark Oaten

Cobbett's Corner

Chris Moncrieff

Commons Gallery
Epolitix.com’s Chris Smith rounds up the week’s key moments in the Commons
Chris Smith

Options for reform
Nick Raynsford discusses moves towards developing a more workable and widely accepted local government finance system
Nick Raynsford

Containing the crisis
David Curry explains why the council tax has become so unpopular and sets out ways in which it can be reformed
David Curry

Too high, too fast
Ed Davey argues that local income tax offers the fairest way out of the council tax minefield
Ed Davey

Time to take Layfield off the shelf
In 1974 the Layfield committee was established with a remit to review local government finance. As committee members George Jones and John Stewart show, the lessons learned from this study are still relevant 30 years later
George Jones and John Stewart

New ideas out of reach
How can local taxation be made more acceptable? Andrew Bennett discusses the options
Andrew Bennett

On borrowed time
Sir Jeremy Beecham calls for the fundamental overhaul of the local government finance system
Jeremy Beecham

Time for openness and honesty
Christine Melsom discusses how the Isitfair Campaign got started and how it intends to continue its fight for fairer local taxation
Christine Melsom

A fairer deal for Wales?
Sue Essex explains how the review of the balance of funding in English councils could impact upon the local government taxation regime in Wales
Sue Essex

A happy engagement
Kevin Wilson reflects on the Milton Keynes council tax referendum
Kevin Wilson

Eyes on the prize of a truly civic society
Stoke Mayor Mike Wolfe says citizens are not disengaged from local government, they are just sceptical that local decision making can effect improvements in services
Mike Wolfe

Central Government must embrace honest funding
More locally-raised taxation should be retained to fund resources for local people, writes Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart
Sir Sandy Bruce-Lockhart

Building in fairness
Ray Russell calls for the introduction of a local income tax – a tried and tested system that will help make decentralisation and local electoral accountability a reality
Ray Russell

Anti-poverty progress check
Jolyon Kimble reports on Andrew Smith’s recent appearance before the Work and Pensions Select Committee
Jolyon Kimble

Brussels braced for Budget brawl
George Parker reports on the impending EU budget negotiations, London’s attempt to join the Paris-Berlin axis, and the late hitch in the MEP pay and expenses deal
George Parker

Lords Gallery
Andrew Evans reports on the week’s major developments in the Lords
Andrew Evans

Travels and Travails
Lord Norton of Louth records a week of yo-yoing between London and Hull; and between parliamentarians and students
Lord Norton

The usual abnormality
John Pienaar studies last week’s Prime Minister’s question time and draws some conclusions on the post-Iraq war state of British politics
John Pienaar