There’s been a reassurance from the Government that community groups will have a loud voice in the new arrangements for overseeing London’s police force.Until now, London has been unlike the rest of Britain, in having no police authority largely drawn from elected councillors, though the capital does have several strong policy community consultative groups. 

The Government says its allocation of funding and allowances for local government this year is the most generous for the sector since the introduction of the council tax.Local Government says the settlement is good in parts - but claims new measures on council tax benefit could see the ‘nearly poor paying for the really poor’.
The deal does mean an extra L2.6 billion for councils this year, along with a new system of distribution that aims to be fairer and provide more stability.