About this episode

This episode explores the responsibilities of local councils, their funding challenges, and the impact of financial pressures on local government services.

Local government affects almost every part of our daily lives: bins, roads, planning, housing, schools, social care, public health, libraries, parks and more. But despite this, local elections are often discussed mainly as a test of national politics - with far less attention paid to what councils actually do, what councillors can change, and why so many councils are under such severe financial pressure. In this episode, we ask what local government is responsible for, how councils are funded, and why rising funding has not been enough to keep up with rising demand. We look at the pressures from social care, homelessness, SEND and other statutory services, and ask what it really means when a council is described as effectively bankrupt. Helen is joined by David Phillips from the Institute for Fiscal Studies and Aileen Murphie, honorary Professor at Durham University, and formerly at the Department for Communities and Local Government, and the National Audit Office. Become a member: https://ifs.org.uk/individual-membership Find out more: https://ifs.org.uk/podcasts-explainers-and-calculators/podcasts Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

People in this episode

Host: Helen

Guests: David Phillips, Aileen Murphie

Topics covered

• local government
• council responsibilities
• financial pressure
• social care
• homelessness
• funding
• local elections

Keywords

• local government
• councils
• funding
• social care
• homelessness
• financial pressure
• local elections
• public health
• libraries
• parks

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Institute for Fiscal Studies, Durham University, Department for Communities and Local Government, National Audit Office

More episodes of IFS Zooms In: The Economy

• What does Britain think about inequality? · June 11, 2026 · 48 min
• How unequal is Britain? · June 4, 2026 · 48 min
• The tough fiscal reality facing the UK government · May 28, 2026 · 47 min
• Why is UK electricity so expensive? · May 21, 2026 · 50 min

Explore listener stats, chart rankings, contacts and more on the IFS Zooms In: The Economy podcast page.