Councils could lose control of social care if the Tories win the General Election next year, the chief executive of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy has suggested.

Rob Whiteman raised the prospect of the dramatic change in front of an audience of council chief executives at last week's MJ Future Forum.

Councils have called for action to prevent chronic underinvestment and unsustainable risks in the severely strained social care system, which the Government wants to integrate with the NHS, funding for which has been protected.