The Star Chamber Podcast

In this episode, Marcus and Michael continue their focus on issues and trends impacting the local government sector, including rising local government debt levels, the Government’s plans for Mayoral Development Zones, and what the Makerfield by-election may signal for the UK’s changing political landscape. They then turn their attention to one of the defining reforms of modern local government: de...

In this episode, Marcus and Michael are joined by Stuart Rimmer and Alison Young from Thames Freeport for a wide-ranging discussion on one of the UK’s most significant economic growth initiatives. The conversation explores the role of Freeports in driving investment, trade, innovation and regeneration, and examines how Thames Freeport is seeking to create long-term economic value across one of the...

In this special episode, Michael and I are joined by Nathan Spencer, Managing Director of UKREiiF, for a discussion recorded live at the UK’s Real Estate Investment & Infrastructure Forum in Leeds. Together, we explore how UKREiiF has evolved into one of the key gathering points for conversations around investment, regeneration, infrastructure and place leadership, and what this says about the...

This week, Marcus and Michael are joined by special guest Paul Harrison, former adviser to the Prime Minister and now of Lexington Communications, for a deep dive into the 2026 local election results and what they really mean for local government. Drawing on his experience operating at the heart of Government in Number 10, Paul explores: • The changing political landscape across English councils •...

In this episode of The Star Chamber Podcast, Marcus and Michael reflect on the latest developments shaping local government. Along with an overview on key news topics ranging from New Towns to Best Value Commissioners, their deep dive explores the rise of AI Growth Zones — what they are, why they’re being proposed, and what they mean for local authorities. From the energy and infrastructure constr...

In this special episode of The Star Chamber Podcast, Marcus and Michael record live from MIPIM in Cannes, the global gathering of investors, developers and cities shaping the future of the built environment. They reflect on the history and significance of MIPIM, and how it has become a key forum where local government, private capital and global investors come together around place-based regenerat...

In this episode of The Star Chamber Podcast, Marcus and Michael are joined by Peter Arnold, EY’s UK Chief Economist, for a discussion on the relationship between local government and economic growth. They reflect on recent developments across the sector, including the Government’s latest announcements on SEND reform, the expanding use of Exceptional Financial Support (EFS) for councils, and the ec...

What do Disney, Dairy Milk, and the credit crunch have to do with local government reorganisation? In this episode of The Star Chamber Podcast, Michael and Marcus turn to the world of corporate mergers and acquisitions to explore what local government can learn from some of the most high-profile deals in recent history, examining why some created lasting value while others fell short. From culture...

In this episode of The Star Chamber Podcast, Marcus and Michael are joined by Amanda Evans, EY’s global Government and Infrastructure Strategy and Transactions lead, for a forward-looking conversation on what the year ahead holds for local government. We begin by surveying the landscape for 2026, from anticipated policy reforms and structural change to the political developments likely to shape th...

In our festive edition of the Star Chamber Podcast, Michael and Marcus explore the Chancellor’s Budget, considering whether it maintains the spirit of devolution, or whether it delivers something more centralistic. We then take to time to reflect on the year of 2025 for the local government sector – a year in which councils have faced extraordinary pressures, profound uncertainty and yet remarkabl...

In this episode of  The Star Chamber Podcast , Marcus and Michael are joined by  Owen Mapley , Chief Executive of CIPFA, to explore one of the defining questions facing local government today:  how do we shift from short-term firefighting to long-term financial sustainability? We begin with the latest sector headlines — from the latest analysis on Exceptional Financial Support and i...

In this episode, Marcus and Michael take a tour through some of the biggest issues shaping local government today. We reflect on the recent ministerial appointments of Steve Reed, Matthew Pennycook and Alison McGovern, and what their arrival at MHCLG might signal for the sector. We also cover the New Towns Taskforce report — its objectives, the principles underpinning it, and the delivery and cost...

In Episode 5 of  The Star Chamber Podcast , Michael Clifford and Marcus Richards are joined by  Amardeep Gill of Trowers & Hamlins  to unpack local government’s role in delivering the UK’s net zero ambitions. We explore the statutory context, the fragmented and short-term funding landscape, and the legal and financial complexities councils face in turning plans into projects. In...

In Episode 4 of The Star Chamber Podcast, we dive deep into the evolving architecture of English localism. We begin with the new Devolution and Community Engagement Bill, unpacking its implications for devolution and ambition across regions. We then interrogate the long-awaited Fair Funding Review – asking whether authorities will see it as a momentous milestone, bringing funding certainty and cla...

In this episode of The Star Chamber Podcast, we unpack the recent flurry of government announcements – the Spending Review, the Industrial Strategy, and the UK Infrastructure Strategy – and explore what they really mean for local government. We discuss how authorities can respond to these evolving agendas to unlock investment, attract private capital, and drive long-term, place-based growth. We’re...

In this episode of The Star Chamber Podcast, we unpack the fallout from the recent local elections before tackling the potential moral hazard of central government interventions in local authority debt. We then head north to UKREiiF to explore placemaking, investment, and how these themes tie into the evolving role of Combined Authorities - including a trip through time to Margaret Thatcher’s abol...

Join Michael Clifford and Marcus Richards for a series of discussions on the world of local government! In their first episode, they talk about the medieval origins of the term Star Chamber, how Liverpool in the 1980s shaped the concept of Exceptional Financial Support and what mountaineers have to do with Local Government Reorganisation.