Westminster has been systematically stripping councils of power, funding and stature for decades. As a result, our local politics is among the most enfeebled in Europe.
"Local authority spending has fallen nationally by half since 2010, with areas such as Liverpool, Blackburn and Barnsley facing average cuts twice that of their counterparts in the more affluent south, according to the thinktank."
Deprived northern regions worst hit by UK austerity, study finds
Poorest areas bearing brunt of council spending cuts, according to thinktank analysis