It is no secret that local government is required to make savings and become ever more efficient and streamlined following the Autumn Statement.

But this is not something we should fear. The prime minister and the chancellor are holding their nerve – so should we. Financial prudence is going to be here for some time, yet our residents depend on us for hundreds of services, so we need to start saying ‘we will', rather than ‘we can't'.

So what do we, as local authority leaders, want from the chancellor? The answer is simple: a new deal between Whitehall and local places to tackle the biggest national issues – jobs for young people, homes for hardworking families and affordable care in later life.  

This new deal should be based on two key principles: