The Government is just putting ‘sticking plasters' in place, where it needs real solutions to some of the issues that local government faces, the new shadow local government minister, Jim McMahon says. He believes there is no long-term vision for the country, no coherent plan for devolution, and not nearly enough power and fiscal autonomy being handed down to the local level.

Mr McMahon's rise through the political ranks has been rapid. He has been an MP for less than a year, taking over Michael Meacher's seat of Oldham West and West Royton in last December and was announced as part of Labour's new shadow team last month. He is highly critical of where current policy is going – as you may expect from his place on the opposition benches – and confident he has a better plan for councils.