Praise from the prime minister and chancellor generally goes down well with local government. We have got used to being credited with running the most efficient public services and out-pacing central government and the NHS on service innovation.

But in the lead-up to the Autumn Statement, being lauded for the savings we have made over the past four years while keeping, even increasing, high levels of resident satisfaction, set alarm bells ringing from Smith Square to town halls around the country.

With the deficit reduction figures predicted to show that the national economy had only achieved half the savings it needed to make, the words we wanted to hear from the chancellor were that he accepted that local services couldn’t withstand further reductions beyond the planned £3bn next year.