As 2016 draws to a close, many in local government will be reflecting on an extraordinary year with so many extraordinary events.  For local government itself, in spite of further cuts and increasing service demands, there have also been some encouraging developments including continued devolution.  

There is little prospect of local government's financial position improving in 2017 and indeed the omission of social care in the Chancellor's Autumn Statement suggests the financial pressures will get evermore severe.