It will come as no surprise to anyone in local government that the huge challenges councils face are about to get significantly worse. A rapidly expanding number of people reliant on public services means already tightly squeezed budgets will reach breaking point.

London boroughs have no choice but to steel themselves to meet massive demands and make tough decisions. Despite its vibrancy, our city is facing problems for which there are no quick-fix solutions, from startling increases in homelessness (London accounts for more than 30% of the total number of rough sleepers in the UK) to dealing with effects of worryingly poor air quality on the health of our residents.