More and more local authorities are ready to go bust

According to the Local Government Chronicle, Manchester City Council is contemplating a section 114 notice (effectively a declaration of bankruptcy) and Leeds and Liverpool city councils, Wiltshire Council, Cumbria CC and Windsor & Maidenhead are all thought to be in a similar position.

London boroughs have also warned of ‘catastrophic’ cuts and council tax rises unless government plugs a shortfall of £1.3billion.

This is all in the middle of an ongoing pandemic, where local authority social care is already in crisis and when the government tells us there may have to be local lockdowns.

That will be especially difficult without local authorities, but central government shows no sign of caring…