The local government elections delivered a cohort of new councillors to represent the interests of local communities at a time when council finances are under extreme pressure.

Research by the Local Government Association (LGA) has revealed one in three councils fear they will run out of cash to provide their legal duties within the next three years – and almost a fifth of councils are not confident of realising all of the savings they have identified to make this year. With council budgets under scrutiny as never before, it is more important than ever that councillors are sufficiently financially literate to fulfil their democratic role as custodians of local public money.