It is no secret that local authorities in Britain have, over the last nine years or so, borne the brunt of financial cuts imposed by successive governments.
Attempts made to tackle austerity, as well as policies designed to stabilise the UK economy, have impacted both on the money available to councils and the potential they hold themselves to raise revenue through local initiatives.
Concern for the financial health of local authorities is exacerbated when we also consider that local councils in Britain raise a mere 25% of their own revenue. Councils in Denmark, by contrast, generate 74% of their own income. In Sweden that figure is 84%.
