Perhaps the simplest thing local government has traditionally had to offer business is our predictability. We're not going anywhere. We're here for the long-term. A reliable partner. A safe bet.

But as the government carves off whole swathes of our budget and we struggle to maintain the statutory basics, it's becoming clear that all future bets are off.

The uncertainty about how local government will continue to finance itself, amid the deepest cuts in our history, is not only destabilising for councils and demoralising for staff and users, it is also sends a disastrous signal to business.