Last week saw The MJ's first ever Future Forum Midlands, a 24-hour whistlestop tour of the issues facing local government – and there are no shortage of issues.

There was much talk of devolution and reorganisation, workforce, technology and economic growth, all set amid a backdrop of a difficult fiscal envelope. Taken as read, failing finances are no longer at the forefront of the debate – more a grim reality with no end in sight.