There's an old saying in #economics:

'if things cannot go on forever, they won't.'

Well, if Moodys are right (and that is an 'if'!), more #localcouncils are about to declare bankruptcy after years of reductions in central Govt. funding, restriction on rates & other income, and general attrition from central Govt.

You cannot run local government like this for ever, and so it would seem finally we can't!

https://www.theguardian.com/society/2023/sep/11/more-english-councils-expected-to-fail-owing-billions-warns-moodys

@ChrisMayLA6

Arguably #localcouncils never recovered fully from the shock of World war two - but they did remain significant players until at least the #thatcher years. Ironically #thatcher seems to have thought her approach might help to restore them and certainly some of the measures she put in place did improve their performance and probity (ironically these tended to be the ones scrapped by later governments!). However the #polltax debacle put paid to any hope of recovery by them.

For some years the growing gap between income & expenditure for #localcouncils has been a problem that occasionally surfaces but seems to have been kept as a 'local issue';

Now there's a likely shortfall (funding gap) of around £3bn in the next two years.

So we can expect more councils in extreme financial difficulties, more cuts to local services & more chaos caused by the decline adult & child care services Councils can no longer afford to run.

The #Tory wreckers have been hard ar work!

Local authority rich list: Nearly 2,800 council workers earned more than £100,000 last year | The Independent
#RichList
#LocalAuthorities
#LocalCouncils
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/local-authority-rich-list-100k-last-year-b2322827.html

#UK #HousingMarket

The report suggested that as many as 450,000 properties might be affected.

Clearly not all of the #LocalCouncils covering the areas affected will have the means or the political will to respond to this by #municipalisation of individual properties.

However such an approach does have an illustrious precedent. Nearly fifty years ago the newly-elected #labourgovernment responded to the effects of a #BankingCrisis on the #HousingMarket by encouraging #municipalisation.

it takes a persistent whinger to hold local council reps to account. Well done that man. 💪

#Weasenham #localcouncils #ukpolitics https://www.edp24.co.uk/news/23426906.villager-dubbed-weasenham-whinger-celebrates-victory/

I've used this metaphor before, but its also applicable here...

The #LevellingUpFund money being offered to #LocalCouncils is a lifebuoy being thrown to you by the person who pushed you into the sea in the first place....