South Tyneside Council is under significant pressure. With an ageing population and more people than ever before needing social care, we have also seen some of the harshest cuts in the country.

Furthermore, the decision by the chancellor to boost adult social care spending by levying 2% on council tax puts the local authority at an even greater disadvantage, with the Social Market Foundation highlighting us as one of the areas that will raise the least through this mechanism, despite needing it more than others.