Much has been said of austerity and its impact on local government. As a policy, it has defined the sector for this decade, much as compulsory competitive tendering (CCT) did in the 1980s, best value during the 1990s and Efficiency Statements through the noughties.

But this link to past government policy is undoubtedly where any similarity ends because those who worked on their authority's CCT outsourcing calculation, would soon discover that with a little creativity over the use of notional credits, their target could easily be met.