Recommendation 8

We recommend that the Government widen the funding base of local government to make it less vulnerable to shocks such as the covid-19 pandemic, including by giving councils more flexibility over local taxes and other revenue-raising powers. This would also align with giving local authorities more powers over spending, which we will consider in our future report on devolution in England. Giving local government more powers to raise and spend money is a position supported by our predecessor Committee. We also recommend that the Government reform business rates, in particular by finding a mechanism by which to level the playing field between bricks- and-mortar and online retailers. This is an issue we will return to in our upcoming report on supporting high streets after covid-19.