I read a really good piece in the Manchester Evening News by Hannah Richardson. It captured perfectly the mood of Trafford Council.
The Conservatives blamed Labour, Labour blamed the Conservatives, and the Greens pointed the finger at every other party present.
Hannah Richardson MEN
We’re still waiting for the Government’s decision. It normally lands by the end of January, so everyone’s feeling a bit on edge.
Somerset Council has already had to postpone their budget meetings in the absence of the final settlement.
One can imagine that the team led by Nico Heslop (Director of Finance) at MHCLG has had its work cut out in listening to the protestations of councils like Trafford over the proposed settlement.
My guess is that we will learn our fate this week. It will be good to channel all this nervous energy into constructive activity.
The Conservatives as main opposition party will want to put an alternative budget forward. The other parties might want to propose tweaks. They clearly need to see the Labour budget first.
If the law dictates that it all has to be done and dusted by March 11, we really need that final settlement agreed.
Link to Manchester Evening News Article on the Council Meeting of 28 January 2026
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