The report highlighted a number of areas where local authorities have little or no control, such as the Work Programme, which pays organisations based on their success at getting people into work.

BBC: Councils 'could cut youth unemployment by 20%'

There was no party in overall control of the council following the local elections on 2 May.

BBC: Joe Cooney

The researchers studied 18 national political conventions between 1972 and 2004, and found no statistically significant impact on personal income or local employment when comparing host cities with control cities that didn't host events.

WSJ: Why Mega-Events May Not Mean Mega-Bucks