As the dust settles on the Spending Review, it seems local government has got a lot of what it wanted in the shape of a shift to more fiscal autonomy – be careful what you wish for. The early part of next year looks set to be dominated by making it work.

The finance settlement is likely to appear next week – barring all the usual rumours that it could be delayed until the New Year – and it may start to shed some light on how some of the reforms will work and what the finances will actually look like on the ground. So what can we expect?