Most local authorities are well led and managed and balance their books, even in these challenging times, but, unfortunately, the financial failure of a local authority isn't the rare event it once was.

Our new report, ‘Preventing failure in Local Government', explores the reasons for local government failure, why the many safeguards designed to prevent councils making bad decisions that waste public money and undermine trust haven't operated effectively, and what lessons can be learnt to reduce the risk of failures in the future. The report does not explore the impact that current sector funding risks may have on the exercise of statutory functions.