Introduction

This introductory chapter explains the financial uncertainty currently facing the local government sector in England. It initially seeks to explain the reasons that this situation has arisen and the implications for public service delivery in the coming years. This sets the foreground for the examination of international best practice that is taken forward to understand how the local government finance system in England could be improved. Setting out proposals for reform to the English local government finance system that encapsulates the principles of what the authors call embedded autonomy. It argues that local government in England cannot stand on its own two feet without a resilient and well-funded local government finance system based on cooperation, fairness, and scrutiny.