‘The Government would still expect a link between the economic performance of the UK and the financial health of local authorities'. These are HM Treasury's words in response to a recent consultation about the cost control mechanism for public service pensions.

Local government has not been a priority for the past ten years. Things seem unlikely to improve in the Spending Review. The financial health of the NHS is not linked to ‘the economic performance of the UK', receiving ever-increasing funding regardless of the economy.