As 2023 draws to a close, local government in England again finds itself in a financially vulnerable position. Subject to fiscal pressures, risks and uncertainties, local political leaders and officers continue to work through the contradictions of the highly centralised and creaking funding system.

As a General Election year looms, the existing or incoming national government will have to address low growth, under-invested services and tight public finances with constraints on their ability to raise taxes and/or borrow given higher interest rates. Local government is once again positioned outside of ring-fenced funding areas and likely to experience cuts akin to the unprecedented austerity from 2010.