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Joanne Roney, Solace President, said: “From skills to the environment; health to housing and planning; local government will have a vital role to play in much of the Government’s ambitious agenda.

“But, as a country, we will be seriously hampered in our ability to improve peoples’ life chances and catalyse local economies if we fail to put councils – as the key conveners of place – on a truly sustainable financial footing. And crucial to that is once and for all grappling with the crisis in social care.

“The pandemic has shone a stark light on the urgent need for social care reform, so it is not only disappointing but disconcerting that this has once again been delayed. We don’t underestimate the difficulties in addressing the incredibly complex set of issues surrounding reform but we cannot continue to bury our heads in the sand and it must be addressed – along with a genuinely sustainable financial settlement for local government – as part of the forthcoming Spending Review.”