As the local government finance settlement is finalised, it appears communities secretary Greg Clark has listened – and dug out a bit of extra cash from down the back of the sofa.

A transitional fund and some extra cash for rural services has cushioned what looked like a hammer blow for county councils – and it has been done without raiding the coffers of inner London and the northern cities – which will come as a great relief. Normal service has been resumed and we are back to where the settlement should have been.