Local governments face deep cuts over the full five-year period of the current parliament. George Osborne's emergency budget made no pretence about the need for steep reductions in spending in a number of programmes. Council services are almost all "unprotected" – that is, there has been no government commitment to ringfence social services, local environmental provision, fire and emergency services, leisure and cultural activities, local transport or social housing. All local authority departments can look forward to unparalleled pressure caused by sharp and protracted expenditure cuts.