As you read this column we will have come together at the Local Government Association conference to celebrate how councils have innovated, and to debate the issues of the day. From the changes (or, rather, the absence of them) in business rates, to the latest progress in our leading authorities in health and social care, there is much to discuss. 

With our track record we are in a strong position to take forward the next wave of transformation. We have innovated new partnerships, redesigned services, and even restructured our own sector with the advent of combined authorities and shared services. But the landscape under which we did that was very different to the one we are facing today.