There was a dark inevitability around last week's announcement of another Section 114 notice - this time from Slough - as councils across the country struggle with their finances.It is true - although declared in hushed tones - that some councils are awash with COVID cash, a short-term financial fix to the long-term fiscal problem. But it is only short-term. When the worst of the pandemic is over and the cash dries up, it is back to austerity.Worse still, it's not the old austerity - it is post-pandemic uber-austerity, with a Treasury clamouring to recoup cash in a bid to pay for its emergency action during the COVID crisis.In his speech to the Local Government Association virtual conference earlier this week, communities secretary Robert Jenrick attempted to pass off recent s114 notices as council failures -isolated incidents of mismanagement.
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