'I want my town to prosper, but I've only ever seen cuts... there's nothing left to slice off'

Arooj Shah has a mountain to climb. If she doesn't, the people of Oldham will suffer - more than they already have.

Greater Manchester's council leaders have watched in horror and frustration as town hall budgets have been cut to the bone year after year. Coun Shah is no different. This year is no different.

Once again, she and her colleagues are trying to balance the books. But the budget outlook is bleak. "There's nothing left to slice off," she tells the Local Democracy Reporting Service.

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Services across the board have been trimmed endlessly. There's not an ounce of fat left.

Coun Shah needs to plug a £30m black hole in the council's £275.5m budget over the next two years. Local authorities have seen a 27 per cent real-terms cut in spending power since 2010, the Local Government Association says.

Energy prices are still pushing families to the limit, with the cost of living crisis continuing to leave an increasing number of households on the breadline.

People rely on council services more than ever - but every town hall department is under pressure to find yet more savings.

All the while, bosses are trying to maintain a respectable level of service for its citizens.

"Councils across the country are in difficult circumstances at the moment," Coun Shah said.

"National crises - like housing and social care - are being passed down to us and we have to pick up the costs and respond to those locally. Ever since I was first elected in 2012, I've only seen cuts. And every year it becomes harder to make those cuts.

"All the fluff is gone and now we're facing really difficult decisions to balance the books, while still trying to lay