THERE is little glory to be had in the world of local government. Believe me, I’ve sought it for a decade.

Save reporting on the odd late night indiscretion or waft of questionable practices and relationships, councils are short on political pizzazz.

They may well be responsible for a fair chunk of those things you care for deeply when it comes to it but in Low-Info Britain a gauche parliamentarian’s Bake Off tweet or comparing a rival to the Nazis will always trump the latest developments in health and social care in the projection stakes.

The lingering demise of Labour, new Tory expectations and the certain collapse of some decaying town hall regimes will likely generate more interest in next May’s local election than is usually the case.

And yes, bet your frozen council tax on the local authority map turning largely yellow.

But those expecting May 2017 to herald the opening of a new front in the battle for Scottish independence should heed the portent in some current unrest in Glasgow.

The decision to privatise all council IT, being sold as a necessity to save hundreds of millions of pounds, has already sparked strike action and will have national ramifications.

Such are the grim realities of local government that cherished ideologies are being sacrificed, the workers are revolting and every council service, from payroll to the sex offenders’ register, faces disruption.

If, as expected, Glasgow hands the running of its IT to a Canadian multi-national the deal’s structure means all of Scottish councils will likely come on board, outsource all computer work, save some cash and prepare for the fall-out.

There is little point bleating about a legacy of ‘dodgy Labour deals’ here. The contract piggybacks onto that signed by the coalition partners running Edinburgh and involves a firm much utilised by Scottish ministers.

It also heralds something bigger. The deal is part the direction of travel which will accelerate post-May when not only the political hue of councils will change but so too local government structures. The First Minister has already signalled a review of the roles and responsibilities of authorities. Staffing ramifications are inevitable, so too workforce agitation and unrest.

Meanwhile, the anticipated overhaul of education will likely create years of upheaval (and unhappy teachers) where steady, clean hands and clear heads are no firewall against crises.

In a rapidly changing landscape and with Brexit (and potentially wholesale re-organisation of Scotland's council map) on the horizon, multi-million pound blackholes, crumbling estates, soaring cost pressures and increased public demands and expectations are your inheritance.

Local government is thankless and boring. Its reach though at the best of times can overwhelm, its service users often unforgiving. Filling the potholes, cleaning the streets, running the schools and ensuring granny gets to the toilet provides little time and few platforms for political grandstanding.The best any party can do for their political cause is be competent. Others will reap the glory.