This is the fifth consecutive year that LGiU and The MJ have collaborated on an annual survey of local government finance. Some clear messages have come across throughout that time: local government finance is not seen as fit for purpose, councils want more control over the levers of local economies and more power to raise and spend money locally.

This year, however, interest in, and coverage of, the survey went through the roof including The Sun, The Mirror and the Daily Mail. Why was this? The headline issue was that 90% of councils told us that they were planning on putting up council tax.