Monday 1st July, 2013

The communities secretary, praised by the Chancellor only last week for his ability to impose spending cuts on local authorities, has himself come under fire after the National Audit Office has uncovered a £217m unauthorised overdraft. Subject to a £20,000 fine from the NAO, the department has been reprimanded for its "poor financial management".

However, a Government spokesman pointed out that the department had stayed "well within" overall spending limits. Several others were less than impressed, including Margaret Hodge who said that the overspend was "an unacceptable abuse and waste of public money".