It's time to stop councils getting a raw deal. If funding doesn't change, Leicestershire and other areas could be cutting public services to the bone

It's a stark message but, at a time when service demands are ramping up, a realistic one. The figures show that by 2037, the number of over 80s in Leicestershire is set to double. The county's population is expected to grow by 13% and the number of children in our care is rising by 8% each year.