At the County Councils' Network (CCN) we have begun 2024 as we ended 2023 – making a strong and, we hope, persuasive case for emergency funding to ease the severe pressures facing local government.

With local authorities now setting out their proposed 2024-25 budgets, and in particular setting out many draconian reductions to essential services, we hope this could be the wake-up call for government to take action. We will be doing all we can, both publicly and privately, with the backing of a contingent of county MPs, to secure extra funding in next month's final finance settlement.