Local government minister Bob Neill has warned there is no 'wriggle room' over controversial local government funding decisions such as the cut to Council Tax Benefit, but praised the sector for playing a key role in tackling Britain's 'unsustainable' public deficit.

Speaking at the keynote session of The MJ's Future Forum in Warwickshire on 24 May, Mr Neill said the coalition had delivered a 'fairly blunt reality check' to local government since it had come to power, attacking the former Labour government's devolved spending largesse, and warned the Treasury has already made it clear to ministers that spending constraints will be a 'long haul' policy.