Council spending on local services down 21% over past decade

Drop in finances is a reflection of austerity drive imposed by Tory-led governments

Council spending on local services has fallen by more than a fifth since 2010, according to a report from Britain's leading independent economics thinktank.

In a reflection of the austerity drive imposed on local authorities by Conservative-led governments during the past decade, the Institute for Fiscal Studies said spending on services in England had fallen by 21% between 2009-10 and 2017-18.