Whitehall inspectors could march into councils that refuse to engage with sector-led improvement despite Local Government Association (LGA) reluctance to make it compulsory, documents leaked to The MJ reveal.

Pressure on the LGA to change its approach to sector-led improvement has been growing, with the devolution agenda increasing the focus on councils, and Conservatives in the last government raising doubts over the future of the £23.4m grant to Smith Square.