Local leaders will continue to be ‘heavily constrained' until the UK follows through on its promise to guarantee the rights of local government in law, a sector expert has warned.

The intervention from emeritus professor of local politics at De Montfort University, Colin Copus, came after levelling up minister Neil O'Brien said he was ‘not able to give a timeframe' for when the additional protocol of the European Charter on Local Self-Government would be ratified – more than 12 years after the UK first signed the pledge.