Government relationships with their local government counterparts used to sway in a comfortable rhythm.

With each new regime, central Government would come to power and suspiciously cling to its purse strings, determined to control the bang for each buck it prised from the tight fist of the Treasury. Fast forward a few years and the new Government would start to see local authorities were more than just a delivery arm for central Government policy, populated by wannabe MPs keen to bolster the council coffers at each opportunity.