
Biting the bullet
Think tank: Localis
Author(s): Sandy Forsyth
November 21, 2024
This report from UK think tank Localis explores funding local government in this Parliament and beyond.
The financial problems facing local government in England are well rehearsed.
The deteriorating impact of shrinking budgets on public services and the state of the public realm formed an important part of the Labour Party’s platform of ‘change’ in the 2024 general election campaign. Delivery of the promise to ‘fix the foundations’ and begin national renewal is urgently needed in local government, yet the challenges of doing so cannot be understated.
Biting the Bullet outlines some of the key pressures on council budgets in 2024 and provides some possible options for financial reform which, if part of wider, systemic reform, could help to restore sustainability to local government.