If there's one thing that local government are trying to connect with it's the thorny problem of how you get people interested in how their money is spent. The sums can be big. The impact of cuts can be even bigger. Here's one answer.

by Paul Morris

For most of us budgeting means balancing our monthly income and outgoings to ensure the bills are covered.

But even then, you never know when the washing machine might go kaput, or the MOT reveals more than you’d like; it can be a juggling act.

So, while most of us can get just about our heads around the topsy-turvy costs of living, how would we cope if asked to make decisions about budgets worth millions?