This week, I shall be at The MJ Future Forum where local government minister Brandon Lewis plans to announce a roll out of the next round of whole place community budgets. We at The MJ have always supported the scheme – and Total Place before it – so it is good news.

However, it strikes me that the roll-out – of about half a dozen more areas – doesn't go as far as I would have liked. Local government needs big solutions – and quickly if the sector is going to survive the next spending round.